“Far from freeing up the housing market, they have actually frozen it,” the Conservative leader told reporters.

He is holding talks later with the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) – a body he claims the government has refused to meet.

It comes after Alistair Darling refused to rule out changes to stamp duty.

Estate agents have already warned that uncertainty over the government’s policy on the tax could cause people to delay buying houses.

Leak inquiry?

Speculation was fuelled by a report in last Tuesday’s Sun newspaper that the government planned to offer a holiday from stamp duty payments to revive the flagging sector.

When tackled about the story on Wednesday’s Today programme, the chancellor said a “number of measures” were being considered – but the government had come to no conclusions.

The Treasury later issued a statement saying: “Recent news stories suggesting the government has put forward a proposal on stamp duty are simply wrong. These stories are based on speculation.”

“Their decision to brief out the possibility of a stamp duty holiday was completely reckless” David Cameron Conservative leader

According to some reports, the original briefing came from Downing Street and was aimed at undermining Mr Darling – something firmly denied by Number 10.

Mr Cameron, who has returned to the political frontline, following a holiday in Cornwall, said the debacle showed the government was more interested in “press handling and headlines than what is in the best interests of the country”.

He urged the government to adopt the Conservatives’ plan to abolish stamp duty for nine out of 10 first time buyers.

“When it comes to the crisis in our housing market they seem intent on making things worse rather than better,” he said.

North East tour

“Their decision to brief out the possibility of a stamp duty holiday was completely reckless – far from freeing-up the housing market they’ve actually frozen it.

“Have they even got a leak inquiry to find out how this was briefed out? I think not. I think they know exactly where it came from.”

Mr Cameron, who will tour marginal constituencies in the North West of England before resuming his summer break with a holiday in Turkey next week, is set to meet with housing trusts, city economists, academics and house builders to discuss the property market.

The group will look at the mortgage market, repossessions and the housing supply, he said.

“We won’t be announcing any conclusions today. We won’t be briefing out thoughts today. This is a seminar to look at the issues – it’s to engage with the experts to help us develop our policies.”

‘Unacceptable’ behaviour

He refused to repeat a claim by shadow foreign secretary William Hague that the Conservatives were the “likely winners” of the next general election, stressing that there was no “complacency” in his team.

“I never use those words because the election is up to the members of the public to vote and you can’t make any presumptions about the way they are going to,” he said.

He also condemned the “completely unacceptable” behaviour of Ian Oakley, a Tory general election candidate for Watford, who admitted a campaign of harassment against his Lib Dem rivals.

The Liberal Democrats have urged him to investigate the “vile campaign” by Oakley, who quit the party following his arrest.

Oakley, 31, of Ryeland Close, West Drayton, north west London, appeared at St Albans Magistrates Court last week to admit five counts of criminal damage and two of harassment against Liberal Democrats.

He asked for 68 other offences to be taken into account. He is due to be sentenced in September.

Miliband praise

The monthly briefing comes as ex-local government minister Nick Raynsford accused Labour of being in a “deep hole” and warned that attempts to “buy” support would only invite contempt.

Writing on newstatesman.com, Mr Raynsford accused the government of a “frantic search” for vote-winning ideas.

He failed to mention Gordon Brown, but praised the call by Foreign Secretary David Miliband to “start winning the argument over our record”.

Mr Miliband fuelled speculation over the Labour leadership when he penned an article two weeks ago calling on colleagues to have the confidence to make their case afresh – but without making a reference to the prime minister once.

The prime minister, who is on holiday, is expected to launch a fightback in September.

News reported by The BBC