WHEN Labour returned to power after 18 years in the political wilderness, it was almost unrecognisable from the party it used to be.

It took the harsh and painful decision that it had to reform or risk oblivion.

This is the same stark choice facing the Conservatives, and the sooner they come to terms with their desperate plight the better.

At a time when respect for the Prime Minister is at an all-time low, with doubts about his health and his future as Labour leader, the main opposition party should be on the crest of a wave.

But just seven months short of the General Election, the Conservatives are trailing in the opinion polls and have just suffered humiliation in the Hartlepool by-election.

So dire are the Conservatives' fortunes that when he addresses the Bournemouth conference today, not only will Michael Howard's job as leader be in jeopardy but also on the line will be the very future of his party.

During its time in opposition in the 1980s and the 1990s, Labour evolved with the times.

The Conservatives have failed to move on, and are sticking to an essentially Thatcherite agenda which is past its sell-by date.

John Redwood's virtuoso performance on the conference platform yesterday may have impressed the Tory faithful, but it will have done nothing to improve the Tories' appeal with the electorate.

Indeed, Mr Redwood's return to the Conservatives' front bench demonstrated both its unwillingness to grasp the reality of the new political age and the paucity of young talent at its disposal.

Sadly, for the Conservatives, their survival depends on a leader who thought it would be a good idea to bring back Mr Redwood to the fold.

Time may already have run out for both Mr Howard and his party.