Tory rivals await re-match results

Frontrunner Michael Portillo: Tories must "adapt or die"

The five contenders for the Conservative leadership will soon know which of them is the first to be knocked out of the race to succeed William Hague.

The first round that never was

Michael Portillo - 49

Iain Duncan Smith - 39

Ken Clarke - 36

David Davis - 21

Michael Ancram - 21

Tory MPs have been casting their votes in the ballot which will see the candidate with least support eliminated from the contest.

The battle to avoid ejection is expected to be between former party chairman Michael Ancram and onetime Europe minister David Davis, who came joint last in Tuesday's original ballot, requiring a re-run.

The result of the poll of all 166 Tory MPs will be announced shortly after voting closes 1700 BST.

Frontrunner Michael Portillo will hope to regain some of the momentum he lost when he topped Tuesday's poll of Tory MPs but received fewer votes than expected.

His main challenger is Iain Duncan Smith, who has the backing of the Tory-supporting newspapers the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph.

He will be hoping to close the gap on Mr Portillo while pulling decisively ahead of former chancellor Ken Clarke for the crucial second place.

Arm-twisting

The campaign teams of all the contenders for the Tory crown have been furiously lobbying colleagues right up to the last minute in the hope of wresting votes from their rivals.

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

Supporters of Mr Portillo and Mr Duncan Smith have predicted that their share of the vote could drop - though this is seen as at least partly a bid to keep expectations low.

Mr Clarke's supporters, though, say their man's vote could increase - with most of the boost coming from Mr Ancram's previous support.

Before the ballot opened, the Tory-supporting Daily Mail dealt Mr Portillo a blow with a poll of 300 local Conservative association activists suggesting 58% of them did not want him as leader.

And the Daily Telegraph warned against backing candidates associated with the Major years.

Both Mr Portillo and Mr Clarke served in former prime minister John Major's cabinets.

Tory papers back Duncan Smith

The paper has instead backed the "fresh Mr Duncan Smith" who does not have the "positive disadvantage" of ministerial experience.

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

Michael Portillo

But Mr Portillo reiterated his "adapt or die" message to his party in the same edition of the paper.

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

"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."

Mr Ancram was the first candidate to vote on Thursday. Mr Duncan Smith voted shortly afterwards, joking as he left: "I switched to Duncan Smith so hopefully that is a gain."

Clarke votes early and often

Mr Clarke revealed he was casting two proxy votes for supporters who were unable to make it in person when he arrived at the committee room where the contest is being decided.

If the repeat ballot produces another last-place draw, both losers will be eliminated. The three survivors would go through to a final knock-out ballot held on Tuesday next week to produce a two-name shortlist.

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

The final shortlist of two 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.