William Hague put patriotism, Europe and asylum policy at the heart of the Tories' election campaign on Sunday saying that Britain would become a "foreign land" should Tony Blair win a second term.

Speaking in Harrogate the Tory leader staked a claim for the "British" vote, saying he would allow people to remain "sovereign in their own country". He said the coming election was the "last chance to save Britain".

In a political gamble, Hague said he would not be silenced by those who wanted to dub him as a "reactionary" and "racist little Englander".

He also said that asylum seekers would be dealt with within "weeks not months" and vowed to deport all bogus refugees.

Michael Heseltine, however, warned the Tory leader against giving in to "xenophobia". He also said that he had faced a "dilemma" in deciding whether to vote Tory at the coming general election.

Hague's speech, seen as a departure from the centreground, was written with the assistance of David Hannan, a right-wing MEP drafted in to write the Tory leader's speeches on the run up to the general election.