Clarke vows to stay a heavyweight

Clarke: No concessions to political correctness

Conservative leadership challenger Kenneth Clarke says he will not give up his cigars or lose his paunch if he wins the job.

The jazz-loving former chancellor told The Spectator magazine he would make no concessions to political correctness and renewed his attack on the Tory record over the past four years.

Because of my relaxed lifestyle I haven't suffered from the stress my colleagues do - I seem able to outlast them all

Kenneth Clarke

Meanwhile another contender, right-winger David Davis, said he wanted to be Duke of Wellington to defeat Tony Blair's "Napoleon".

And Iain Duncan Smith, the favourite of the Tory Thatcherite right, concentrated on the future of the NHS saying that there should be an end to the state monopoly on providing health care.

Mr Clarke himself insisted he would continue smoking his beloved cigars.

Paunch

He said: "I admit this does me harm with the politically correct. So what?"

The 60-year-old - who has won the backing of former foreign secretary Douglas Hurd for his leadership bid - denied being too "decrepit" to run for the job.

"If I didn't feel fit, I wouldn't do it. Of course I have no intention of losing weight, if that's what you mean."

Some "friends" suggest Mr Clarke needs to go on a diet but he dismissed the idea.

"I shan't lose my paunch. I like my relaxed lifestyle. I like food.

"Because of my relaxed lifestyle I haven't suffered from the stress my colleagues do. I seem able to outlast them all!"

No soundbites

Mr Clarke turned his sights on image-conscious nature of modern politics.

"I cannot remember a time in opposition - I mean the last four years - when we have done less work on policy and more on slogans," he continued.

Proper policies were needed most on public services, said the one-time health secretary.

He insisted he was a "real reformer" who would decentralise the NHS.

"We need competition not co-operation. It is a good stimulus to improve performance."

'Pursuer of power'

Mr Davis, a former weekend soldier with the SAS, acknowledged the prime minister was "one of the most effective political generals for a century".

Duncan Smith: End state monopoly on healthcare

But he said Mr Blair was a "charlatan" and an "unprincipled pursuer of power".

"Napoleon was like him, thought to be incapable of being defeated," Mr Davis said.

"The Duke of Wellington found a way of defeating Napoleon was the best of British strength and not by copying him."

Competition needed

As with Mr Clarke, competition was a theme of Mr Duncan Smith's speech to supporters and journalists in London on Thursday.

"Our challenge is to end the state monopoly," he said. "The issue is not public versus private but monopoly versus competition.

"It is an all too common assumption that the only alternative to the state is private profit.

"Yet in health care, delivery can come from wider sources.

Although he denied he would scrap the principle of providing healthcare free at the point of delivery.

Mr Duncan Smith's comments came as trade unions continued to be wary about Labour's plans for private firms to become more involved in public service provision.

Appeal to NHS staff

The shadow defence secretary said the Tories would need to appeal to NHS staff directly over the heads of the unions in order to push through their reforms.

The other two contenders, bookies' favourite Michael Portillo and former Tory chairman Michael Ancram, were respectively holding meetings and visiting a London school.

The full list of contenders for the Conservative Party leadership will be finalised next Thursday.

Conservative MPs will whittle the number of candidates down to two before the contest opens out to a vote among the entire membership of the Tory party.