Tory rivals gear up for re-run ballot

The five contenders in the Conservative leadership race are engaging in last-minute lobbying to wrest votes from their rivals for Thursday's re-run of the opening ballot.

The first round that never was

Michael Portillo - 49

Iain Duncan Smith - 39

Ken Clarke - 36

David Davis - 21

Michael Ancram - 21

The poll is being re-run after Tuesday's knock-out ballot failed to eliminate any candidate when two tied for last place and both - David Davis, onetime Europe minister, and former party chairman Michael Ancram - refused to stand down.

But the votes of their supporters are being frantically chased by the other three contenders, Michael Portillo, Iain Duncan Smith and former chancellor, Ken Clarke.

As the party's 166 MPs prepared to vote in the ballot, the Tory-supporting Daily Mail newspaper dealt frontrunner Mr Portillo a severe blow with a poll of 300 local Conservative association activists suggesting 58% of them do not want him as leader.

Whittling down the field

If Thursday's re-run produces another last-place draw, both losers will be eliminated. The three surviving hopefuls would go through to a final knock-out ballot held on Tuesday next week to produce a two-name shortlist.

The Daily Mail dealt a blow to Michael Portillo's campaign

But if only one contender is eliminated, the balloting will go to a fourth round on Thursday next week.

The final shortlist will then be put to the party's entire 300,000 membership which will decide the winner. The victor will be announced on 12 September.

Thursday's voting starts at 1300BST/1200GMT and lasts four hours, with the result due to be announced shortly afterwards.

Mail attacks Portillo

Mr Portillo's campaign was given a shake by the Daily Mail's survey of 300 Tory association chairmen and agents indicating that when asked if they would be happy with him as leader, 58% said no.

The poll was splashed on the paper's front page with the headline: "We don't want you as leader."

However comfortable the old ways might be, it is necessary to adapt or die

Michael Portillo

The paper questioned the respondents about the shadow chancellor's reported attitudes on legalising cannabis, scrapping Clause 28 - which bans the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools - and all-women shortlists for parliamentary selections.

The survey said 61% of the activists did not favour the legalisation of cannabis; 69% said they did not want to drop their commitment to keeping Section 28; and 78% opposed the imposition of shortlists designed to boost numbers of women or ethnic minority MPs.

But in an article for the Daily Telegraph published the same day, Mr Portillo reiterated his "reform or die" message to his party.

"There is widespread recognition in the party that, after two landslide defeats, we have got to be serious about change," he wrote.

Eternal truths

"Freedom matters. Personal responsibility matters.

"But it is no good preaching the eternal truths of Conservatism if the language we use is stuck in a particular time and place - the England of 25 or 50 years ago.

"It is precisely because the principles are eternal that each generation has to be free to express them in their own language."

On Wednesday Lord Howe, the former Conservative deputy prime minister, forecast defections from the party if Ken Clarke is not on the final postal ballot paper presented to all members.