The Conservative Party is considering splitting off its Scottish branch, effectively conceding that the organisation is a write-off north of the Border.

The radical plan would involve the party choosing a new name for Scotland. It has consistently flatlined in the polls, attracting only around 11 per cent of the Scottish vote.

The proposals, which have been denied by party officials, would turn the Conservatives into an English and Welsh party, where their support is far stronger. North of the border, they would campaign under the new name, but vote in a bloc in Westminster in line with Conservative policies.

A party source said they believed that giving the party a new name in Scotland would help it to attract voters who are put off voting for the party because of its English image.

The party hoped to unveil the plans, which have been examined by the party chairman, Francis Maude, after Scottish elections next month but leaked details appeared yesterday in the Spectator magazine.

The Conservatives admitted yesterday that they also had a mountain to climb to get back council seats across swathes of the north of England where they have been wiped out.

Announcing its strategy for the English council elections on May 3rd, the party said it would take years to make a breakthrough in the twelve northern councils — including Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, Durham and York — where the party does not have a single councillor.

Eric Pickles MP, Conservative vice-chairman responsible for the local elections, said: “The mountain we have to climb is very steep. It’s going to take more than one year, more than two years — its incremental.”

Although the party is riding high in national polls, its new-found appeal is concentrated in the south of England and some rural areas in the North. A poor showing by the party in the northern cities would be leapt on by critics as proof that David Cameron has little appeal outside southern metropolitan areas.

However, in many of the northern cities the party has totally disappeared, with no local association, no activists, and no organisational infrastructure with which to fight the “super Thursday” elections.

Recently the party launched a Northern Board, chaired by William Hague, to rebuild the party in the region, but it has not had enough time to make much impact on next month’s elections.

Previously the party has said it would go for “one big push” for the North, but Mr Pickles said: “It’s going to take years to build up the infrastructure, the organisation and the candidates. It’s a key test that we increase the number of councils in the North.”

More than half the 19,585 council seats in England are coming up for election, with the Conservatives, the largest party of local government, defending as many seats as Labour and the Liberal Democrats combined.

However, the seats are concentrated in the south of England and in northern rural and suburban areas, with the party almost nonexistent in northern metropolitan areas. On the same day, there are also elections for the Scottish and Welsh assemblies.

Independent analysts expect the Conservatives to win around 600 seats, and Labour to lose around 600, based on recent by-election results. Mr Pickles tried to play down expectations of big Conservative gains, saying that the number of Labour councillors was at its lowest level since 1977.

Tory-free zones

Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (No overall control)

Bolsover (Lab)

Cambridge (Lib Dem)

Chesterfield (Lib Dem)

Derwentside (Lab)

Durham City (Lib Dem)

Easington (Lab)

Gateshead (Lab)

Knowsley (Lab)

Liverpool (Lib Dem)

Manchester (Lab)

Newcastle upon Tyne (Lib Dem)

Wansbeck (Lab)

Wear Valley, Tyne & Wear (Lab)

York (Lib Dem)

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