Opposition leader William Hague has re-branded himself as a man of the people ahead of regional and local elections next month that threaten further humiliation for his Conservative Party.
Campaigning began this week for nationwide local elections that will be held on the same day as polls for the first Scottish Parliament in 300 years and a new Welsh Assembly.
The Conservatives fear they could lose more ground to the ruling Labour Party in the May 6 vote, with pollsters suggesting the attack on Yugoslavia had further boosted the Government's popularity.
Mr Hague is presenting himself as being more in touch with the feelings of the nation and trying to distance himself from the political hacks of Westminster.
The strategy will see him appearing more often with his wife, Ffion, and stressing his working-class roots in contrast to Labour leader Tony Blair's public school background.
'We are starting off with an opinion poll rating below where it was at the last election,' Conservative Party chairman Michael Ancram admitted at the election campaign launch.
'We will use a season of elections in order to heighten the profile of our party and our party leader,' he said.
