NOW, at last, desperate Iain Duncan Smith's secret plan for seizing the keys to Downing Street is revealed. It's violent revolution.

After week of bizarre threats to shoot anyone in his way, the threat of physical force ran through the leader's speech yesterday. Suddenly, the Quiet Man has become Che Guevara.

It all started at a reception for Tory MEPs earlier this week when Mr Duncan Smith said: "If you want to shoot the enemy you need bullets. That's what we are giving you, so you can cut them down."

The theme continued when the Tory leader was asked what he would do if he was handed a pearl-handled revolver.

"I used to be in the Army and I know how to use these things," he replied.

Even that was topped when IDS was asked if he liked to shoot.

"The only real shooting I want to do over the next year and a half is shooting Tony Blair," was the alarming answer.

We all know Mr Duncan Smith likes to talk about compassionate Conservatism, so surely he would grab the chance to cut back on the violence in his conference speech? Not a bit of it.

Critics were told to "get out of our way", with a further warning that he would not "allow anything or anyone to stand in my way".

The Prime Minister was back in the firing line, with a warning that the next hand on his shoulder would be "the grip of the British people, dragging you from office".

Even John Prescott had better watch out: "We're not afraid to fight you, John," he was told, "and this time the punch is coming from the right".

And what about this promise: "I will fight, fight, fight and fight again to save the country that I love."

Okay, we get the message. All that was needed was a Hasta La Vista.

Even the poses betrayed the street fighting menace. The most vicious attack on Tony Blair was delivered from a stance stolen straight from Gary Cooper seeing off the baddies in High Noon.

And, when Mr Duncan Smith pulled back his jacket at the end, we almost expected to see a six-shooter tucked into his waistband, with an ammunition belt hanging beneath.

With violent crime on the rise across the land, the struggling Tory leader probably feels he is tapping into the national mood with his call to arms.

After all, history is littered with organisations that swapped the bullet for the ballot box.

Perhaps the Tories will be the first to go the other way, now the ballot box holds no future.

In the US, the FBI will come knocking on your door if they pick up a single email threatening the President - even in jest. Luckily for IDS, no such laws apply here.

But everybody is familiar with the tired and emotional man who gets violent in the pub at closing time. He's always the one who has lost the argument.