article: Boris Johnson will move centre stage in the Conservative election campaign next week as the party struggles to open up a consistent poll lead over Labour. The London Mayor, who has been largely invisible at a national level despite being the second best known Tory in the country, will make a high-profile joint appearance with David Cameron, sources said. There have been growing calls from Conservative MPs for Mr Johnson to be ‘weaponised’ as the party seeks to break away from Labour. High profile: Boris Johnson (pictured at a gin distillery in London on Friday) will move centre stage in the Conservative election campaign next week . While many polls indicate deadlock, one by Survation for the Daily Mirror lifted Tory spirits yesterday by putting their party up four points in a week and moving ahead of Labour. The Conservatives were on 34 per cent, with Labour down two on 33 per cent. It is only the second time the Conservatives have been ahead with Survation since the organisation began conducting national polling in 2011. The poll put Ukip on 17 per cent, the Lib Dems on seven per cent and the Greens on three. Last night Lord Bell, the advertising guru who masterminded Margaret Thatcher’s three election victories, was scathing about the Tories’ campaign, saying: ‘It’s dreadful. It’s risk averse. It’s boring. There is no engagement with real voters. There is no passion. ‘Cameron seems to be content with the idea that there will be a hung Parliament. They don’t even seem to be fighting for an overall majority. The campaign seemed to be based on the idea that Ed Miliband couldn’t even tie his own shoelaces properly. When he showed he can there was no Plan B.’ There have been growing calls from Conservative MPs for Mr Johnson to be ‘weaponised’ as the party seeks to break away from Labour . There was surprise that Mr Johnson was not present at this week’s Tory manifesto launch, with Mr Cameron instead introduced by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, Home Secretary Theresa May and Chancellor George Osborne. Internal polling suggests Mr Johnson is by far the most popular senior Tory among Ukip voters, who Mr Cameron has pleaded with to ‘come home’ to his party rather than risk a Labour government propped up by the SNP. Other senior figures told the Daily Mail that David Cameron must underline manifesto pledges aimed at working class voters – such as extending the right-to-buy and promising a tax-free minimum wage. ‘The tax-free minimum wage is the best policy we’ve had in years – but we haven’t heard a word about it since the manifesto,’ said one former minister. Boris Johnson tried a 99 cornet (left) in West Drayton yesterday and visited the Al Falah mosque (right) ‘We should be out selling some of the terrific stuff in the manifesto every day until polling day. It’s not enough to make one good speech. ‘We need to get everybody out there – all the Cabinet – pushing these arguments day after day.’ One senior Tory donor said the campaign was ‘lacklustre’, ‘negative’, and ‘boring’. ‘I am afraid we are paying a terrible price for not having a proper narrative over the last five years. People just don’t know what we stand for any more. ‘Why are we talking only now about extending right to buy? Why is there nothing on immigration? Where is the Cabinet? ‘Why aren’t we using Boris Johnson who is our biggest hitter and actually knows how to win elections?’ The donor added: ‘There is no sense of urgency. We seem to be sleepwalking to defeat praying that the polls might turn in the last week like it did in 1992. ‘If it wasn’t for the SNP surge in Scotland Ed Miliband would be in Downing Street with a comfortable majority. We couldn’t beat Gordon Brown and now it seems we can’t beat Miliband who was supposed to be an even worse leader. ‘With the economy performing so well we should be miles ahead instead we are in danger of boring voters to death.’ The London Mayor, who has been largely invisible at a national level despite being the second best known Tory in the country, will make a high-profile joint appearance with David Cameron, sources said . Some Tories are also complaining that the collapse in party membership has decimated their ground operation in some constituencies and they are being outleafleted by Labour – whose canvas operation has been swelled by thousand of trade unionists – by three to one. Another said the mood was ‘tense’ and there was ‘some dismay’ that the manifesto launch had not given the party ‘lift-off’. ‘The polls have moved a bit in our favour. But if we are to turn the tide decisively, we need to keep the energy up and we should be using Boris more.’ One candidate hoping to be re-elected in a marginal seat said: ‘Boris is doing good stuff on the ground but we should be seeing more of him – he’s box office. Unlike some of our secretaries of state, people actually want to turn out to hear him.’ A Conservative adviser said: ‘We’ve always known this would be an incredibly close election and that a large number of undecided voters will only decide who they want in Downing Street – Cameron or Miliband – at the last minute. ‘You will be seeing more of Boris as we move towards the end of the campaign – that has always been the plan.’ The latest polls suggest a swing back to the Tories, but nothing close to the lead they would need for a Commons majority. A Panelbase poll suggested the Tories had cut a six-point Labour lead to one, while TNS put the party two points ahead, with 34 per cent to Labour’s 32. A YouGov poll, meanwhile, had the two main parties tied on 34 per cent.
highlights: Boris Johnson to move centre stage in Tory election campaign next week .
  London Mayor to make a high profile joint appearance with David Cameron .
  Comes amid surprise he was not at the Tory manifesto launch this week .
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