Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has accused Tony Blair of being personally responsible for the UK's new crime "crisis".

Mr Duncan Smith told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost the prime minister was failing to show leadership on tackling crime.

Tony Blair is specifically responsible for this failure Iain Duncan Smith

The Tory leader repeated his commitment to tax cuts as he said voters, for the first time since Labour came to power in 1997, had decided Mr Blair had failed.

Recent opinion polls suggest it is the Liberal Democrats who are gaining ground, but Mr Duncan Smith insisted only his party offered a real alternative.

His attack on the government's crime record follows new figures showing gun crime has risen by 35% in a year.

'Tragedy'

Ministers this week announced new measures to tackle the problem, which also saw two teenage girls killed in a New Year shooting in Birmingham.

Mr Duncan Smith said he was angry that London was now becoming more violent than a city like New York, which used to be known as the world's crime capital.

Blair has broken his promises, says Duncan Smith

"It is an absolute tragedy and Mr Blair is completely guilty of failing to show some leadership on this," he said.

"I think Tony Blair is specifically responsible for this failure...

"This is the man who promised 'Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime'.

"This week we have seen a crisis in crime that is really damaging people's lives.

"It is Blair who is responsible. He made personal promises and we have to hold him to account for that."

'Sleaze claim'

Recorded crime figures for the year ending last September rose.

But ministers pointed to figures from the British Crime Survey - which includes offences not reported to the police - which showed crime falling.

His attack came as the Tories released figures showing that 96 magistrates courts have closed in England and Wales since 1997.

Mr Duncan Smith said voters realised the government was breaking its promises on issues like education and health and was "sleazy".

Francis Maude says Tories have made too little progress

"This is the first time since Mr Blair came to power that they have really decided he has failed," he said.

"Now they want to know what the alternative is."

People had moved away from intending to vote for Labour and were now undecided, he argued.

The Tory leader insisted the Liberal Democrats had "no chance" of overtaking his party at the next election.

Tax hopes

Mr Duncan Smith also said his party would charge lower taxes than Labour without cutting services.

That was because ministers were "squandering" money without getting improvements in schools and hospitals.

His team is looking to cut 20% from government spending.

More services could also be provided using private firms and not through taxpayers' cash, he said.

But criticising his party's lack of progress, former Tory shadow cabinet minister Francis Maude said it should not expect to be able to cut taxes in its first term.

Mr Maude told GMTV: "We haven't made anything like sufficient progress.

"Our problem is not that we are not an efficient opposition.

"Our problem is that we haven't for some time been a credible alternative government and that is where our emphasis should be."

'Right message'

Conservative peer John Taylor said changing leaders was not the solution to Tory woes.

Local Conservative associations needed to be taught to reflect modern Britain, argued Lord Taylor.

Labour Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Paul Boateng, argued Tory tax cut plans could not be achieved through savings on administration.

"Reductions of that order must mean deep cuts in vital public services like health, education, the police and transport," said Mr Boateng.

Lib Dem chairman Mark Oaten accused Mr Duncan Smith of criticising the government's crime record while offering "no workable solutions".