Davis may quit Tory leadership race

Conservative leadership contender David Davis is holding a news conference on Friday morning amid speculation he is about to pull out of the contest.

Mr Davis came second to last with just 18 votes from fellow Conservative MPs in Thursday's re-run of the first round of the Tory leadership race.

On Thursday a typically bullish Mr Davis insisted that he would fight on claiming he had a mass of support from grass roots activists.

But as he is seen as having no realistic chance of making it through to the next round, the right-winger and self-confessed "dark horse" candidate - may be about to give up his dream of running the Conservatives.

The remaining four candidates in the Conservative leadership contest have begun lobbying ahead of the next round of voting.

Michael Portillo, Iain Duncan Smith, Kenneth Clarke and David Davis are all trying to attract the support of those Tory MPs who voted for Michael Ancram, who was eliminated after coming last in the ballot.

Mr Portillo again came out on top of Thursday's vote by the 166 Tory MPs, although the gap to his two main rivals narrowed.

First round re-run

Michael Portillo - 50 votes

Iain Duncan Smith - 42 votes

Ken Clarke - 39 votes

David Davis - 18 votes

Michael Ancram - 17 votes

The main focus of the lobbying before the next vote on Tuesday will be to secure the 17 votes of Mr Ancram - and possibly those of fourth placed candidate Mr Davis.

On Thursday, right-winger Iain Duncan Smith came second, again beating the former chancellor Ken Clarke into third place.

Later Mr Clarke joined a function hosted by Mr Portillo near his Kensington and Chelsea constituency.

In a speech, Mr Clarke praised the leadership favourite, saying he shared his liberal views on social issues.

Iain Duncan Smith: Closed gap on Michael Portillo

Mr Portillo's failure to secure the support of even a third of Tory MPs prompted claims that his campaign had lost momentum - he has picked up just one extra vote since the first ballot, which had to be re-run because the two bottom candidates tied.

Despite Mr Portillo maintaining his position at the head of the field, his campaign team had hoped to be able to claim more of a snowball effect.

But the shadow chancellor insisted he was happy to have gained one vote despite what he called a "major onslaught against my campaign" - a reference to an attack on his candidature by the Tory-supporting Daily Mail and Telegraph newspapers.

Ancram: 'No regrets'

Mr Ancram accepted his defeat graciously, saying: "All my life I have always believed it's better to have fought and lost than never to have fought at all."

He was now going to take some "time out" and ponder on which of the remaining candidates to support.

Mr Davis was undaunted to have lost votes between the first and second ballots, adding that he would press on with his campaign.

Michael Ancram: Falls at the second fence

He said: "This weekend is going to be a battle for votes."

After the MPs have whittled down the candidates to just two, all 300,000 party members can vote for the winner in a postal ballot.

The final result will be known on 12 September.

Mr Duncan Smith's camp also pronounced themselves pleased with the result.

The main rival to Mr Portillo said the "phoney war" was now over and the real campaigning could begin.

He said he would be announcing new policies on law and order and environment in the next five days.

Reactionary

In a speech to the Kensington and Chelsea constituency Patron's Club, Mr Clarke said Mr Duncan Smith was wrong to suggest that the June election result was a political improvement for the Tories.

"I fear that in fact too many people saw us as reactionary, backward looking and obsessed with a narrow agenda," the former chancellor said of his party's election campaign.

He added that there were striking similarities between himself and Mr Portillo.

"We both reject the retreat into the bunker of traditional right wing attitudes and causes, because we both desperately want to see the return of a Conservative government and the defeat of Tony Blair and New Labour."