Clarke appeals to Scottish Tories

Both men will speak in Scotland next week

Conservative leadership hopeful Ken Clarke has promised to devolve more power to Scottish Tories to develop their own policies.

Mr Clarke has also moved to end the row over claims that he wants to divert Scottish expenditure to England.

The former Chancellor argues that Scotland needs a strong centre-right party to contest Labour.

Mr Clarke wants more autonomy for MSPs

He says that the best way to achieve that is to face up to devolution and give Tory MSPs greater autonomy to develop their own policies in the areas relevant to the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Clarke ran into a row when he suggested that the allocation of public spending across the UK required review.

But writing in Friday's Scotsman newspaper, he insists he does not want to scrap the Barnett formula which governs Scotland's cash.

However, he does support a review of relative need across the UK - which would oblige Scotland to defend its current spending level.

His rival Iain Duncan Smith has also stressed the distinctive status of the Scottish Tories - and accepted that devolution is here to stay.

'Mistakes in 1997'

Earlier this week Mr Clarke called for English issues to be voted on only by English MPs in Westminster.

He insisted this was no more than a tidying-up measure made necessary by devolution.

And speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday, he accused Mr Duncan Smith of wanting to reopen and "reverse" the issue of devolution.

Mr Clarke said it had been a mistake for the Tory party to enter the 1997 general election campaign with nothing to say about devolution.

Both candidates will address the Scottish Conservative conference in Perth next week.