The Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, unveiled his latest election prop on Saturday, a digital clock marking a "12 days" countdown in his campaign to save sterling and Britain's economic independence.
But with the hours furiously ticking away, the latest poll appears to give him just 10 days in which to save his own job as leader of the Conservative Party.
Some newspaper coverage of the British election campaign yesterday turned again to the battle for the Tory succession thought certain to follow the June 7th poll, if Mr Hague fails to significantly reduce Mr Tony Blair's present 179-seat majority in the House of Commons.
And the speculation about his survival prospects seems set to rise after that NOP poll for the Sunday Times showing Labour still with a commanding lead of 19 points and seemingly on-target for an increased majority of 237 seats.
Well-placed sources discount suggestions of "mounting gloom" inside Conservative Central Office, and they insist there is no expectation either of a dramatic narrowing-of-the-gap until the final days of the election campaign.
Mr Hague is understood to have been surprised and delighted by the Prime Minister's decision to pick-up the European gauntlet, and by his declared confidence that he could turn-around British public opinion and win a referendum vote for British membership of the Euro.
Regarding Mr Blair's intervention as an "own goal" and confirmation of his own campaign, Mr Hague is apparently determined to keep pounding the message that June 7th really is decision-day for sterling and the single currency.
However, Mr Blair's belief that a pro-euro majority can be forged once his government commits to a referendum is bouyed by the NOP poll. While British voters remain against membership of the single currency - on these figures by 61 per cent to 28 per cent - a majority of those surveyed, 53 per cent, said they expected the UK to join the Euro during the next parliament, compared to 35 per cent who said they did not.
Meanwhile, a political consultant who played a key role in President Bush's successful presidential campaign yesterday warned Mr Hague that his campaign on the pound would cut little ice with floating voters in the final stages of the campaign.
Dr Frank Luntz told the Sunday Telegraph: "The British Conservatives are winning the battle but losing the war. You cannot win when the two issues that matter most to people, social security and education, are owned lock stock and barrel by Tony Blair."
Describing Mr Hague as "unelectable" unless he presents a more caring face, Dr Luntz said the Tory leader's attempt at compassionate conservatism had not been believed because he had failed to appear sincere: "People have to know what is in your heart as well as what is in your head. Blair understands that tremendously well and uses language brilliantly . . .
"The language that Blair uses is beautiful - it's calculated and, to my ear, fake. The message polls show that voters can see through him but they are carried along anyway."
But Mr Hague, he ventured, "is so flawed that the voters cannot see beyond the messenger . . ."