Michael Howard has warned the Conservatives it will take "more than one more heave" to get back into power.

The Opposition leader, due to step down later this year, said on Sunday that despite gains made in the general election the Tories must do much more to convince voters they are ready for government again.

With debate beginning on where the party should go next in order to secure more support, Howard said Conservatives must communicate better with the public.

And he dismissed suggestions that with one more effort Labour's parliamentary majority would automatically fall.

"Not one more heave, it is going to require a lot more than that," he told the BBC's Breakfast With Frost .

"I think we have made progress and I think we have established a basis from which we really can go on to win the next election," he said.

"But no-one in the Conservative Party should assume that this next election is going to drop into our lap. No-one should assume that it is a question a one more heave.

"We have got a lot of work to do. We obviously haven't succeeded in really connecting with the electorate as a whole - with their concerns and anxieties and frustrations and their hopes and aspirations and dreams.

"And we must make it much clearer than I was able to do that we understand the real difficulties that the hard-working families that we all talked about have in trying to make sure that their kids get a decent education."

Perception

Howard said the public's view of the party was still costing it votes.

"The perception of the Conservative Party is not the perception we would like to have," he argued.

"We need to show people that we understand their concerns, are in tune with their concerns and we have the best solutions.

"We obviously haven't succeeded in really connecting with the electorate as a whole - with their concerns and anxieties and frustrations and their hopes and aspirations and dreams."

And as rivals jockey for position in the post-election leadership contest, he called on candidates and contributors to the debate not descend into civil war.

"I hope we can conduct this debate in a civilised way," he said.

"We have rediscovered over the last 18 months some old Tory characteristics of discipline and unity and a proper and respectful way of behaving towards each other. And it is vital that those lessons are not lost or forgotten."