Tories out of touch, anti-women, greedy and divided - say Tories

9.17.38am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 10th Feb 2005

The Tories can't win.

That is one of the statements from the leaked Tory handbook 'Campaigning: Engaging the Individual Voter'. The booklet designed to help Tory candidates answer a range of criticisms based on their previous performance - which the Tory Party have been desperately trying to forget or re-write over the past few months - shows the problems they still face in the forthcoming General Election.

Whilst all parties try to prepare their candidates with answers for difficult questions some elements of this document are deeply disturbing.

It advises candidates to use listening tricks to make them appear interested.

Using humour as a device to reduce an angry resident is acceptable to ridicule mentally ill people living on benefit is not. The booklet tells candidates to blame the recent rise in people diagnosed with depression on the Labour government.

"The true Tory Party shows through in this booklet. Pretend to listen, make fun of minority groups, if this is what the Tories are offering South Dorset they will be rejected" commented Graham Oakes.