Strategy was, indeed, reviewed but Labour had some successes last week, notably on the increase in the tax burden under the Tories, identified by the Institute of Fiscal Studies. Stories favourable to Labour led all but one of the early evening news bulletins during the week.There is no evidence of any panic decisions or big rows; that would be unlikely, knowing the individuals. As one Labour source put it: "It's not a question of clashing between Prescott, Brown and Mandelson - the problem between them is one of silence." But there has been a more thorough- going strategy re-think, one which started earlier in the week. The conclusion was that the Tories had been allowed to dominate too much of the agenda, that Labour had not been successful enough in presenting the dangers of the fifth Tory term or in attacking the Government. There was, for example, concern that Wednesday's Newsnight had more examples of election literature from Tory candidates critical of the single currency, than Labour had. When John Redwood's literature popped up to embarrass the Tories yesterday, the source was the Liberal Democrats and not Labour.Conservative weak points have not been highlighted. They include the contradiction of Conservative claims that the economy is "booming" - after years of cautioning against boom-bust economics.

Mr Brown's reassurance on tax and spend is, so the argument goes, important but it is also defensive. One source said: "We've got to broaden the attack." Key Labour areas such as health and education have barely figured in the campaign; as one Labour MP put it: "At some stage we have to shift ground. We are four weeks into an election and health has not been mentioned. In 1992 you couldn't get away from health."That relatively small issues can unravel has alarmed Labour's strategists and boosted Tory morale. But before the Conservative candidates break open the champagne they would be wise to remember that their party remains firmly on a losing trajectory. Labour MPs on the doorstep report a good reception with little evidence that voters are changing their minds.

As yet there is no consistent evidence that Labour's massive poll lead is being eroded at more than two points a week - though at least one weekend poll will hearten the Tories. Europe returned to haunt the Tories on the single currency and there is no sign of a big event to turn the election tide the Tories' way. If this continues for another week or so, the reality of a Labour landslide may put more pressure on the Conservatives as fears of a meltdown test their loyalty. In the meantime much of the minutiae of the press conference circuit washes over an electorate somewhat less than dazzled by the election. Debate is, as one Labour source put it, subsumed in a fog of charge and rebuttal."And," as the source went on, "every day of fog is another good day for Labour, because that's another day passing without people changing their votes.". Last Tuesday, in Basildon, as the noon glare leapt from the concrete outside the Town Gate theatre, two young men stood waiting for Tony Blair. They were tall, about university age, and one of them wore a dark blue T-shirt.