Doorstep campaign will be crucial to the result, Grayling tells Tories

A CONSERVATIVE Cabinet minister today appealed to the party’s supporters to join its doorstep campaign amid claims that Labour is winning the election ground war.

Jus t i c e S e c re t a r y Chri s Grayl i ng stressed one-to-one conversations, often with undecided voters, were going to be “crucial” in shaping the result of the May 7 poll.

He has visited nearly 40 seats and praised Conservatives backers, including ex-Cabinet ministers, businesspeople, councillors, former public sector workers, parents and students, who have been “tramping the streets to win the crucial votes that will make all the difference in our marginal seats”.

Mr Grayling, seeking re-election as MP for Epsom and Ewell, told the ConservativeHome website people were influenced by David Cameron setting out his vision for Britain. “But there are lots of undecided voters out there, and the conversations our teams have with those voters on the doorsteps are going to be crucial.”

Peter Kellner, president of polling company YouGov, said one of its polls at the weekend, putting Labour three points ahead, made clear that the “Tories are losing both the air war and the ground war”.

The latest YouGov survey today had a smaller gap, with Labour on 35 and the Conservatives 34 per cent, and other polls put the Tories in the lead.

But Lucy Powell, vice-chairwoman of Labour’s general election campaign, said: “This thinly veiled plea for the Tories to up their game is further proof their campaign is in chaos.”

The Conservatives denied they are losing the ground war, highlighting as a sign of strength that they are putting up far more candidates than Labour in the May local elections.