The battle for electoral success intensifies as Barack Obama's master tactician David Axelrod flies in for talks with Ed Miliband.

07:10, UK, Wednesday 14 May 2014

The next year in politics isn't just a battle of parties and leaders but also their strategy gurus. This election sees two heavyweights go head-to-head.

In the blue corner, all the way from Australia, Lynton Crosby - "The Wizard of Oz."

In the red corner, the challenger from Chicago, David Axelrod - "The Axe-man."

Both men have impressive CVs.

Mr Axelrod, recently hired by Labour, helped mastermind President Obama's campaign to become the first black US President and was architect of his re-election in 2012.

Mr Crosby, taken on full-time last year by the Conservatives, was behind four election victories for John Howard in Australia and two Mayoral wins for Boris Johnson in London.

The main issue for Labour is that while Mr Crosby has been driving the campaign with his feet firmly under the desk in Tory HQ since last November, Mr Axelrod is restricted to being a phone-a-friend adviser based in the US.

He is visiting Ed Miliband this week for the first time and they've spoken a great deal on the phone, but can this US strategist really keep abreast of the twists and turns of a campaign from the other side of the Atlantic?

The Labour leader believes what's important is that Mr Axelrod has experience of selling the very same message about "the cost of living crisis" in the US and turning it in to a message of confident belief: "Yes We Can."

What's more, the American knows how to use social media, as he did with Obama, and combine it with Labour's strength - the use of campaign activists on the doorstep.

This time Mr Axelrod doesn't have the glamorous Barack Obama - instead his candidate is characterised as being geeky, with polls giving Mr Miliband a low personal rating. Can he turn it around? Cue slogan.

Lynton Crosby's slogan would be "No he can't" but the blunt Australian has his own problems in the Conservative camp.

His candidate failed to get an outright victory against an unpopular leader four years ago, and many fear the rise of UKIP threatens the Tory vote. His answer is a message more focused on core issues.

The backroom strategies have begun - expect the results to arrive soon on the airways, your doorstep and your Twitter feed.

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