Voting under way for new Tory leader

Michael Portillo: Rough ride before the polls opened

Conservative MPs have made a brisk start to voting in the first knock-out ballot of their party leadership contest.

Most of the party's 166 MPs had cast their votes within 90 minutes of the poll opening. The result will be announced soon after it closes at 1700BST/1600GMT.

Michael said, as he has repeatedly, that a strong enough case has been made on the legalisation of cannabis for this to be properly considered and debated by the party

Portillo campaign statement

In the hours before the poll opened in a committee room inside the Houses of Parliament, frontrunner Michael Portillo endured a rocky Tuesday morning.

First he was forced to reject claims of financial impropriety over failing to declare donations to his constituency party while a member of John Major's cabinet.

Then he had to deny reported comments in a newspaper that he now backed the legalisation of cannabis.

Despite the setbacks the shadow chancellor is still expected to top Tuesday's ballot, which will eliminate the candidate with least support.

Among the voters was outgoing Conservative leader William Hague, who declined to name his choice to waiting reporters.

Elimination looms

When Iain Duncan Smith, one of the five candidates, turned up to vote, the shadow defence secretary joked: "I haven't made my mind up."

MPs' ballot

Lasts four hours in committee room 14

Ballot paper lists five contenders in alphabetical order

After choosing with a cross, MPs put their vote in a sealed black box

Process overseen by three scrutineers in the room and three tellers outside

First voter: Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham

First candidate to vote: Michael Ancram

Mr Duncan Smith is vying with Ken Clarke for second place in this first stage of the race, decided by the parliamentary party.

Jostling to avoid coming last in the first knock-out ballot are ex-party chairman Michael Ancram and backbencher David Davis.

Each candidate will be knocked out in further ballots this week and next until two names remain, which are then put to the wider party membership.

Their choice - and the identity of Mr Hague's successor - should be announced on 12 September.

The revelations of more than £20,000 paid to Mr Portillo's former local Conservative association in return for private briefings and speeches were published in the Guardian newspaper.

Mr Portillo rejected as a "smear" claims that he behaved improperly by not entering the donations in the Commons register of members' interests.

He insisted there had been no need to declare them as they went not to him but to his local party.

'Nothing improper'

"There is no truth that I have taken any money whatsoever," he told the BBC.

Ken Clarke: Dismissed claims involving his rival

"I, like most Conservative MPs, have raised money for my party and my constituency association and I have done nothing improper."

Leadership rival Ken Clarke - a cabinet colleague when the payments were made - dismissed the claims of wrongdoing as "absolutely senseless".

But Mr Portillo had to damp down further controversy when London's Evening Standard newspaper claimed he had spoken out in favour of legalising cannabis.

It quoted him as saying: "I think a strong enough case has been made for legalisation on the basis that marijuana is a drug that can be compared with alcohol and tobacco - and on the basis that kids are buying these things, and buying them from people who are involved in a very dangerous drugs trade, simultaneously."

Quotes 'out of context'

The newspaper said Mr Portillo added that he would "propose that the party sit down, take evidence and reach a conclusion".

The Portillo camp did not deny he had said the words but Francis Maude, his campaign manager, insisted the remarks had been taken "badly out of context".

"Michael said, as he has repeatedly, that a strong enough case has been made on the legalisation of cannabis for this to be properly considered and debated by the party," said Mr Maude.

"Michael has repeatedly made clear in public and elsewhere that he is not convinced."