Maude refuses to endorse candidates

Francis Maude: Refusing to endorse either candidate

Shadow foreign secretary Francis Maude has expressed doubts that either of the contenders for the Tory party leadership could return the party to power.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Maude refused to endorse either candidate saying: "Neither of them has been talking about the kind of changes that I think are necessary."

There is no doubt the reformers are backing Ken

Ken Clarke spokesman

His comments did not stop a spokesman for Ken Clarke insisting they were attracting grassroots reformers previously behind Michael Portillo, whose doomed campaign was led by Mr Maude.

In another blow to the holiday truce agreed between the two candidates, it has emerged Iain Duncan Smith activists are being asked to report on his rival's tactics and supporters.

A 10-point briefing leaked to a newspaper suggests local campaigners are also being urged to contact radio phone-in shows "to help get Iain's message across".

Supporters wooed

The 300,000 party members will be voting for William Hague's successor later in August and the winner is due to be announced on 12 September.

Mr Clarke has been keen to woo supporters of Mr Portillo, who was pushed out of the race by one vote in the last MPs ballot.

Last week 10 senior Tory MPs - including two shadow cabinet members - who previously supported Mr Portillo publicly shifted their backing to Mr Clarke.

Speaking on Today, Mr Maude refused to endorse either candidate and said: "Neither of them is Michael Portillo. Neither of them has been talking about the kind of changes that I think are necessary.

"That does worry me and I hope that they will start to do so soon.

"Both of them need to be talking much more seriously about change in the Conservative Party which will make us appealing to people who want politicians to be interested in the way that they themselves run their lives, not how we think they ought to be running their lives."

Lip service

Other senior modernisers - such as shadow environment secretary Archie Norman and shadow agriculture minister Tim Yeo - have also held back from expressing their preference for leader.

But a spokesman for Mr Clarke, commenting on a BBC opinion poll that suggested the Tory election disaster could have been worse had turnout been higher, insisted only the former chancellor could reach out to disaffected voters.

Already reformers among the Tory grassroots who had backed Mr Portillo were switching to Mr Clarke, he added.