MICHAEL Howard will target Greater Manchester in a bold bid to breathe life back into the Tory party and snatch power from Tony Blair.

Conservative fortunes in the area have slumped alarmingly with just one MP - Altrincham's Graham Brady, one of Mr Howard's right-hand men - and a handful of local councillors.

Today 62-year-old former Home Secretary Mr Howard arrived in Manchester at the start of a whistlestop tour of the country aimed at cheering up Tories with the blues.

And he spoke exclusively to the M.E.N. about his general election plans, about regional government, about what he thinks of Ann Widdecombe and why he is a Liverpool FC fan.

Mr Howard has been dubbed "Dracula" after Miss Widdecombe's reference to him having "something of the night" about him and national newspapers sticking fangs on his photographs.

But face to face, the South Wales-born former grammar school boy-turned barrister is affable, relaxed and clearly in control.

For a start, he has abandoned the traditional, oak-panelled Shadow Cabinet suite in the old House of Commons for a vast modern office off Portcullis House with views of the Thames and the London Eye.

His slimmed-down Shadow Cabinet now meets in that office, sitting around a gigantic table in its centre. Mr Howard says he is not changing for the sake of it but things done in the past were not necessarily right.

Gesture

He has abandoned the old Shadow Cabinet room, which still has a whiff of old Labour and trade union banners, he is selling off Tory HQ in London's Smith Square, and he has taken on high-powered press chiefs.

He has on a light blue tie and explains with a grin: "I hope you notice I'm wearing a tie in Manchester City's colours. I am a Liverpool fan but I thought I'd make a gesture for the Manchester Evening News."

He accepts the Tories are thin on the ground and he promises to increase the number of MPs and councillors.

"My message to voters will be that we understand your problems and frustrations and we have plans and policies which will make your lives better," said Mr Howard.

"We have been thinking about the difficulties you face in terms of hospitals you use, schools your children and grandchildren go to, of crime that you're suffering and your inability to get around quickly and conveniently because of the transport difficulties.

"We want to convince you there's a connection between those frustrations you face in your everyday lives and your ability to improve things by going along to the polling booth and putting an X against Conservative candidates, because we really are committed to making your life better."

With the party political broadcast out of the way, the soft-spoken former Cabinet minister, who contested a Liverpool seat in the 1960s, said one of the big issues was tax - claiming 60 tax rises since Labour came to power, costing an average man or woman an extra £44 per week.

"And people know they're not getting a return for that extra tax. This is a great country, the fourth biggest economy in the world, a country full of hard-working, energetic, enterprising people.

"There's no reason why we should have to put up with second-class public services."

His party is opposed to John Prescott's plans to give the north west a regional mini parliament.

"We're against it because we think there's enough government in the country. If you ask people what problems they face, I don't think many of them will say we don't have enough government," said the Tory leader. "They don't want another layer of government at regional level."

But did he not think a regional government would be a first step on the way to decentralising power?

"No. When we talk decentralising decision-making, we mean transferring power from the centre to the really local level.

"For example, our proposals for foundation hospitals would give those hospitals real freedom and the ability to serve their community.

"Either you give hospitals that freedom or you take it away from them. If you remove it, it doesn't matter whether the level of government to which they report is at regional or national level. It's remote from people.

"I want decision-making to be at really local level where the services can be sensitive to the needs of local communities."

Mr Howard pointed out that the Boundary Committee plans to shake up local government in Cheshire and Lancashire, to pave the way for regional government, have already caused uproar.

"That's not because the Boundary Committee has made a mistake, it's because there is no way you can draw those boundaries without controversy."

Today Mr Howard was due to visit Moss Side to chat with members of the group Carisma, which is energising the local community to fight the gun culture.

"It's not the first time I've been to Moss Side, I went there when I was Home Secretary," he said.

"I said in my speech when I launched my campaign there are no no-go areas for Conservatives - there must be no no-go areas for law and order either in this country.

"We just can't allow a state of affairs to arise where there are parts of our inner cities in which gun terror reigns."Carisma is doing great work in helping families who need help in that kind of environment."

Mr Howard admits to being a Liverpool supporter from when he was a small boy, with one of his early boyhood heroes the great Liverpool winger Billy Liddell.

"I don't really know why - and I support Swansea too," he said.

"The greatest joy of my life as a football fan was that period when John Toshack was manager of Swansea and the whole team was packed with former Liverpool players - even Tommy Smith was there for a while. That was great."

Mr Howard is now 62 and two elections from now will be nearly 70. Does he think he might be branded a "caretaker" leader?

"No. My task is to do everything I can to win the next election. We'll see how we get on," said Mr Howard in his familiar Welsh lilt.

Does he mind that Ann Widdecombe said he had "something of the night" and that he is a modern day Dracula from Transylvania?

"It doesn't irritate me in the slightest - a lot of people have had a lot of fun with that and Ann's been very supportive in the last few weeks."

He prefers not to ponder on whether Tony Blair will be forced out of office over student top-up fees or the Hutton Inquiry into the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly. But he does think the Prime Minister's lost the plot.

Mr Howard prefers to concentrate on his own job, to convince people that the Tories can once again become the government.

"I came into politics to make a difference, to do what I could to make people's lives better.

"Now I have a real opportunity."
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