Lynton Crosby: can the ‘Lizard of Oz’ win the election for the Tories?

The blunt-speaking political strategist helped Australia’s Liberal party to four victories in a row. Will his hard-right message reach the voters that Old Etonians cannot?

Up a side street in Mayfair in central London, about a mile from Conservative campaign headquarters, there is a handsome brick and stone block discreetly crammed with company offices. There is no sign outside, but men in smart coats come and go. Big cars wait with their engines running. In the lobby, small black letters on cheap glass list two dozen obscure financial and property companies, and another occupant: CTF Partners.

The F stands for Fullbrook, after Mark Fullbrook, a former Conservative campaign specialist of long experience. The T stands for Textor, after Mark Textor, an Australian pollster who since the 80s has done pioneering work for rightwing parties around the world. And the C stands for Crosby, after another Australian, Lynton Crosby.

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