The Tory leader, Mr William Hague, will put Europe at the heart of Britain's pre-election debate tomorrow with a promise that a Conservative government would legislate to prevent any further transfer of powers to Brussels.
The proposed legislation - intended to "draw a line in the sand" against the perceived tide of European federalism - will form the centrepiece of the party's mini-manifesto, entitled "Believing in Britain". However the party chairman, Mr Michael Ancram, indicated yesterday the legislation would not affect existing treaties but rather address "what can happen in the future".
Mr Hague is hoping desperately the manifesto will kick-start a Tory revival, after a disastrous summer performance made memorable only by his admission to drinking 14 pints as a teenager. Analysis of recent opinion polls putting Labour's lead at between 10 and 12 points suggests Mr Blair's 179 majority might be reduced by just eight seats.
In an interview on the BBC's World This Weekend programme, Mr Ancram said the promise to block the further transfer of powers to Europe on a range of key issues would have the force of law. "We need to be able to retain our right to self-determination," declared Mr Ancram, who said the new law "would stop us slipping further and further into a European super-state".
And the Tory chairman insisted that Mr Hague, despite his negative rating in the polls, projected well with the public. "One of William's great strengths is that he comes across as someone who's very straight, and tells things as they are," he said.
But as Mr Hague prepared his unveiling, the former prime minister, Sir Edward Heath, fired another salvo warning him not to allow the party to become too extreme on issues such as Europe. As he did so, the shadow Home Secretary, Ms Ann Widdecombe, was publicly rebuking the party's vice-chairman, Mr Steve Norris, for his demand that lesbians and gay men be allowed to register their relationships and enjoy the same legal rights as married couples.
Speaking on GMTV's The Sunday Programme, Sir Edward said he could not think of one thing Mr Hague had got right over the summer period. Dismissing the proposed new policy as "nonsense", Sir Edward said Mr Hague's refrain about "being in Europe but not run by Europe" made "no sense at all".