Leadership race flawed?

Portillo: "I play by the rules, I didn't devise them"

A senior Conservative has warned that the Tory Party could be humiliated unless it changes the rules of the leadership contest.

Edward Macmillan-Scott, who heads the Conservative group in the European Parliament, wants party managers to abandon the system of MP votes immediately, and allow the wider membership to vote on all five candidates.

What he's worried about is reflected in today's headlines: Can't They Get Anything Right? in the Daily Mail, and the Independent - 'Tory Contest - Round One Ends in Farce'.

Since yesterday's results were announced, none of the contenders has shown any sign of being prepared to step down, and the pressure for their fate to be taken out of the hands of MPs is growing because the outcome has exposed the flaws in the system.

Flawed rules?

Of course none of the famous five can support such a move, because it would be interpreted as a sign of weakness.

Clarke: Can he improve on third place?

Critics of the rules - agreed after William Hague took over as leader - say the flaws have been inherent from the start.

The system, they say, is always likely to produce a compromise candidate - someone who can overcome the double-veto of MPs at Westminster, and the 300,000 or so members of the party.

Early favourites rarely win Tory leadership contests: neither Margaret Thatcher, nor John Major, nor William Hague was expected to come out on top.

Stay with the system

No wonder supporters of Iain Duncan-Smith - 39 votes, or 23% - are looking so cheerful.

Archie Norman, one of William Hague's most trusted lieutenants and now a supporter of Michael Portillo, was one of those responsible for reforming the party's democratic systems in 1997.

This week sees the the new model's first test. And despite the criticisms, Mr Norman told me he still believes it offers the best way forward for the party.

Others are not so sure. Andrew Lansley was one of the party's general election strategists: he has declined to say which candidate he supports, but he is prepared to speak out about the failings in the election process.