Voting in Miliband would be a 'catastrophe' says Owen Paterson

The North Shropshire MP said the Labour leader had failed to set out a clear plan for the future of the British economy.

He urged Prime Minister David Cameron to reach out to disaffected Conservatives and follow in the footsteps of past party leaders to win the next election.

The Tories are currently holding their annual party conference in Birmingham – and the economy has been one of the key items on the agenda.

Mr Paterson, who was sacked from the Cabinet during a reshuffle in the summer, said that keeping traditional voters on board was vital in securing a future in Government for the Conservative party.

He said: "If you look at Margaret Thatcher, she got the majority of 13-13.5 million votes, and John Major had 14 million.

"If you look at them, they all had a robust Conservative agenda and I feel very clearly that there are a group of people out there who have not decided, or might be considering Ukip and we should bring them on board.

"I hope we can bring them on board – a Miliband government would be a catastrophe.

"Labour's economic policies could bring catastrophic consequences and the policies are already being played out in France."

Mr Miliband recently spoke in support of economic policies more like those in France – but sceptics say high tax boundaries for the rich and potential property taxes won't fix the country's deficit.

The fears of Ukip's impact on the Conservatives' prospects at next year's General Election come after Tory MP Mark Reckless defected to Nigel Farage's party over the weekend, less than a month after Douglas Carswell did the same.

And despite Mr Paterson being dubbed by national papers as another potential target for the Euro-sceptic party, he has previously branded the claims "nonsense".

Conference diary - Choice of music strikes a chord

The Shropshire Star's Shirley Tart at the Tory Party Conference in Birmingham

Strange (but true?) choice of background music at lunchtime yesterday. Several rounds of Money, money. money . . . It's a rich man's world. Followed by Take a Chance on me!

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One Shropshire lad it was a pleasure to catch up with again certainly isn't taking a chance on the Tories. He's Ukip now.

So how on earth did Christopher Gill, former Conservative MP for Ludlow, find himself (nearly) part of the Birmingham conference?

Ah, well he is also president of the Freedom Association and they are in much evidence this week on the Fringe programme, safely tucked away in the Birmingham Rep next door to the ICC.

However, the one-time high profile Tory who lives near Bridgnorth and is energetically campaigning for Ukip is not, of course, allowed into the conference hall.

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High point so far, William Hague's farewell speech when he effectively said an emotional thank you and goodbye to front line-politics. The quality of what he had to say and how he said it, was vintage Hague.

Low conference point so far, William Hague reminding us that it was a long 37 years ago when as a 16-year-old enthusiast he made that memorable first conference speech. I was there for that one as well. He sure knows how to make a girl feel old. All the same, we shall miss him. Hope he doesn't go too far away!

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Poor Boris. And I don't often say that. Long before the Mayor of London, surely soon to be MP and wannabe Prime Minister arrived to speak last night, the fans were clamouring for the moment.

They were organising whether they had an early tea or later supper to accommodate the Boris Rally, all a bit film starry really.

His topic was "how we win in 2015" and no doubt all the young Tory strategists were dispatched to discover the Johnson answer to that. And a whole lot more!

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One broadsheet tome went a step further yesterday and clashed with Boris's lot.

Conservative MP David Davies was on a panel where media met politics and under the fine heading May 2015, Before and After.

As my wise old dad used to say in his later years "you never know before till after". Quite!