BARONESS THATCHER, the Conservative former prime minister, was basking in Gordon Brown’s flattery last week, saying she was “delighted” with the compliment he bestowed when he described her as a “conviction politician”.

The prime minister used his first news conference since the summer break to lavish praise on Thatcher in an attempt to embarrass his Tory opponent, David Cameron.

Brown said: “I think Lady Thatcher saw the need for change . . . I also admire the fact she is a conviction politician. I am a conviction politician like her.”

His remarks came on the day that Michael Ancram, the former Tory party chairman, accused Cameron of “trashing” Thatcherism and shortly after it was revealed that one of the party’s treasurers resigned.

Yesterday Thatcher’s spokesman said that she was pleased with the comments. “She was delighted to have such flattery, as she always is from any source,” the spokesman said. “It is nice to have someone say such things about you.”

The spokesman added that Thatcher had not spoken to Ancram for some time but “his views are his views”.

This weekend Cameron sought to draw a line under a difficult week by warning his Tory critics that they should either back his version of “compassionate” Conservatism or see Brown destroy the party and win a fourth general election for Labour. He also warned his detractors against nostalgia and a failure to identify with modern voters.

Last week Brown recruited several Tories to the government cause. The Conservative MPs John Bercow and Patrick Mercer accepted offers to sit on government advisory committees and Johan Eliasch, the Tory deputy treasurer, resigned to take up a post as Brown’s special representative on deforestation and clean energy. Cameron is said to have called Eliasch several times, warning him not to be used by Brown.

In a further irritation for Cameron this weekend, a leaked e-mail from Caroline Spelman, the party chairman, alludes to a dispute among senior officials over a failure to communicate. Spelman admits: “I am very much aware that we do need to improve internal communications as an organisation.”

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