The Conservative party has hired a new advertising agency, following a year-long search, in a move highlighting the rush to prepare for an autumn general election that the prime minister never called. Appointing Euro RSCG - best known for it brash, impactful but traditional advertising - ends a quest that began after the Tories severed their long-standing ties with the Saatchi brothers' agency.

Since breaking with M&C Saatchi, the Tories have used Karmarama for a number of projects, including an anti-debt campaign featuring an "inner tosser" character. However, the party failed to reach an agreement with Karmarama over its election account and sounded out industry executives on an informal basis, including some sympathetic directors at M&C Saatchi, before choosing Euro.