THE Conservatives will today usher in the David Cameron era with an outspoken attack on the record of Gordon Brown, the man they will almost certainly have to beat to win the next general election.

George Osborne, who will be confirmed this week as Mr Cameron’s Shadow Chancellor if he is declared the new Tory leader tomorrow, will attempt to get under Mr Brown’s skin by describing him as a “roadblock to reform”. Over the weekend he was more personal, calling Mr Brown “unpleasant”.

The Chancellor, as the Conservatives know, is infuriated by attempts to portray him as a brake on the reforming instincts of the Prime Minister.

Facing the difficult task of replying to Mr Brown’s pre-Budget report in the Commons, Mr Osborne will go well beyond today’s announcements to deliver a wide-ranging attack on Mr Brown’s performance. Mr Osborne will taunt him for having to downgrade the growth forecasts and will claim that in the last quarter Britain’s was the slowest growing major world economy after Italy. He will also accuse Mr Brown of presiding over poor productivity and a bad record of investment in research and development, skills and transport infrastructure.

Mr Osborne’s attack is part of a wider strategy developed with Mr Cameron to target the man whom they expect to be the next prime minister. Mr Cameron’s promise to help Mr Blair on Commons votes on reform issues which the Conservatives support is also designed to drive a wedge between the Blairite reformers and some of their opponents.

He has also said that if the economy performs badly after Mr Brown leaves the Treasury to become prime minister, that will be the main thrust of the Tory attack on him in the run-up to the election.

Mr Osborne was attacked by Treasury sources yesterday for his personal assault on Mr Brown in a weekend interview in which he called him “unpleasant and brutal”. But he told colleagues that he does not regret the attack.

Mr Cameron was yesterday preparing with colleagues his plans for taking over from Michael Howard after tomorrow’s announcement at the Royal Academy in London of the outcome of the ballot.

Contrary to some suggestions, he is to offer a senior post to David Davis if he beats him, as expected, in the vote. Mr Cameron let it be known yesterday that he was angry over reports suggesting that he would “humiliate” Mr Davis and added they had not come from anyone speaking with his authority.

However, whether Mr Davis hangs on to his present job of Shadow Home Secretary remains to be seen. Senior party sources said that Liam Fox had emerged as the leader of the Right during the campaign and could expect one of the top jobs.

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