David Cameron sought to lay the blame for the looming economic recession firmly at the door of Gordon Brown, as the Government came under pressure to curb the state-owned Northern Rock's "aggressive" repossession tactics.
The Tory leader effectively ended what remained of the tentative political truce on the issue, arguing that the current financial crisis had exposed Mr Brown's policies as "a complete and utter failure".
His attack came amid signs of Tory concern at the way that Mr Brown has been picking up international plaudits - as well opinion poll ratings - for his handling of the financial crisis.
The latest ComRes survey for BBC2's Daily Politics showed Mr Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling almost doubling their lead over the Tories as the team they most trust to lead them through the crisis.
In all, 42% chose Mr Brown and Mr Darling - up two points from a fortnight ago - while Mr Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne were down three points on 31%.
In a speech to City leaders, Mr Cameron stressed that the Tories' support for the Government's bank bail-out plan did not mean they were now backing Labour's entire economic approach.
"Gordon Brown is hoping that his whirlwind of summitry will mean that we will forget what has come before. Forget that - as we enter a downturn, where jobs, home and livelihoods will be lost - that he was the one who created this mess in the first place," he said. "But I won't forget - and the British people won't forget."
Mr Cameron said the country was now paying the price for Mr Brown's decision as Chancellor of the Exchequer to ride a "wave of debt-fuelled growth" in order to pay for Labour's public spending promises.
Treasury Chief Secretary Yvette Cooper accused the Tory leader of playing "juvenile political games" at a time when the country was looking for calm leadership.
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Mr Brown, meeting business leaders in Nottingham, shrugged off the attack insisting that his "undivided attention" was on the the economic situation.
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