Briefings on who to blame for the Conservatives' expected defeat have already begun.

The final Populus tracker poll for the Times has the party on just 27 per cent - a lower position than their their record low results in 1997 and 2001.

This is two points down on yesterday's figure, and has the Tories 14 per cent behind Labour, which is unchanged on 41 per cent.

The Liberal Democrats are up two points to 23 per cent, the party's highest rating of the campaign.

The FT reports that "the knives are out" for Australian campaign chief Lynton Crosby, who is considered to have misjudged British politics.

The paper says that Tory leader Michael Howard will have to secure at least 200 seats, from his current 162, in order to carry on for a year or until a referendum on the European constitution, as he is said to want to.

But according to today's Times, who contacted many Tory candidates yesterday, most want Howard to stay on for up to a year to analyse how the party could improve its fortunes.

However one potential leadership candidate, speaking to the FT, describes the campaign as "the most sour and repellent I have known".

Conservative co-chairman Liam Fox, another possible successor to Howard is due to give a lecture entitled "Let freedom prevail" next week.

Fox surprised observers earlier this week when he departed from his script at a Tory rally to warn that the prime minister's admiration for Europe posed a threat to the future of the UK.