MR Michael Heseltine last night appeared resigned to a Conservative defeat in tomorrow's election, as the cabinet made contingency plans for opposition and increased pressure on Mr Major not to provoke an early leadership contest in the event of a Labour victory.
In what was intended as a final rallying cry, the Deputy Prime Minister warned that Britain was "sleepwalking to disaster". But as senior Tories differed only about the scale of the generally predicted defeat, this was widely seen as a tacit acceptance that Mr Tony Blair was on course for Downing Street.
A defiant John Major last night brushed aside talk of a Tory defeat as he made a final call to his troops to prepare for "Destiny Day" in the "Battle for Britain".
Mr Heseltine's comments won a swift and contemptuous retort from Mr Blair. Addressing supporters at a rally in Bristol, the Labour leader said. "How arrogant and insulting these Tories are. I'll tell you, the disaster is a fifth Tory term and the British people aren't sleeping. They've woken up to it and that's why they are turning to today's Labour Party."
Invoking the memory of the late John Smith, Mr Blair asked for "the chance to serve". And he promised. "The buck will stop with me." Attacking the Tories for their broken promises, the Labour leader declared. "I will only promise what I believe I can deliver. What I promise I will deliver."
Tory sources last night reported concern about their grip on a number of English seats where Conservatives are currently defending majorities of 8,000 plus.
And the sense of alarm was heightened fort her by claims of effective pacts between Labour and the Liberal Democrats in some marginal seats, where tactical voting could point to a larger defeat than some of the polls pre-diet. Channel 4's latest poll last night suggested the Conservative surge had failed to materialise and that the party was stuck on 31 per cent of the vote.
Mr Paddy Ashdown, the Liberal Democrat leader, meanwhile forecast that his party would achieve "the greatest breakthrough any third party has achieved since the second World War." But Mr Blair insisted yet again that the election result was not a foregone conclusion.
Against a backdrop of continuing irritation at official Whitehall briefings suggesting Mr Blair planned to move his family into Downing Street, the Labour leader said he would be working "flat out" in the party's "big push" to deliver the vote tomorrow. Promising to work to the end he said he took no vote and no seat for granted.
Cabinet ministers will this morning lead a final blitz on marginal seats across the country as Mr Major renews his warnings of the effect of a Labour government on the economy and the constitution and the nation's sovereignty.
But there is mounting media and political focus on Mr Major's intentions, should he fall to defeat. Senior loyalists are worried that he could precipitate an early contest for the Tory leadership and are attempting to persuade him to facilitate an "orderly transfer" by delaying a contest until July or the autumn.
Mr Major refused to entertain such questions yesterday. But that mood of weary resignation seemed reflected in Mr Heseltine's acceptance that "whatever verdict the nation gives is the verdict the nation thinks is fair."
A DAY before the election, Labour has an opinion poll lead of between 18 per cent and 20 per cent over the Tories. Gallup, for last night's Channel 4 News, showed Labour's lead at 18 per cent. But Gallup's rolling poll for today's Daily Telegraph shows the gap at 20 points.
The polls suggest a Labour majority of 150-200 seats if translated into real votes tomorrow.