The Tories should return to core values and campaign on moral issues at the next election, Iain Duncan Smith has said.

In a paper published through his think tank, Duncan Smith risks alienating the party's modernising wing by calling on Michael Howard to replicate George W Bush's election strategy.

The back to basics appeal is being seen as an attempt to win core support on issues such as the family, marriage and tax.

Targeting the moral vote could yield enough seats to turn the election for the Tories, Duncan Smith claims

"I do not expect that they will become the biggest block of voters but they have the potential to be the difference between winning and losing," he said.

"Not only could the number of values voters account for the winning margin in close contests, but most significantly they could also be the foot soldiers and the fundraisers of future campaigns."