Sir Menzies Campbell is to hold regular briefings with political journalists as part of a new high-risk strategy to relaunch his stuttering leadership.

The Liberal Democrat leader is challenging David Cameron, his Conservative counterpart, to follow suit in making himself available for cross-examination by the Westminster media.

The initiative is part of a drive to portray Sir Menzies as a “pinstripe radical” but comes against the backdrop of worsening opinion polls. The party, which has suffered badly since Mr Cameron became Tory leader 18 months ago, registered a new low at the weekend as a YouGov survey in The Sunday Times put it on 14 per cent.

Mark Webster, the Liberal Democrat leader’s new press secretary, is understood to have successfully argued that Sir Menzies must take more risks if he is to take on the Conservatives. An internal memo leaked over the weekend showed that he and other aides believe that the party must become more “spiky”. Greg Simpson, the Liberal Democrats’ head of policy and research, wrote: “We will need to leave our comfort zone to achieve this and in this there are risks, but I am convinced that there is no success in politics without taking those risks.”

Sir Menzies, a QC, believes that he is well suited to briefings with lobby journalists and hopes that the events will help to repair a damaged relationship with the media.

Lobby briefings can backfire spectacularly, however, as figures as experienced as Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former director of communications, will attest.

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