Conservatives to discuss leadership contest
Hundreds of Conservative activists are meeting in London to discuss proposals for choosing the next leader of their party.
Tory party chairman Francis Maude, who will address grassroots members attending the forum, is supporting a change to the system which would mean parliamentarians, rather than the party membership as a whole, have the final vote on who is chosen.
Under the current system, adopted by former Conservative leader William Hague, MPs select two leadership candidates, with activists making the ultimate decision in determining who should lead their party.
But under the new plans, members would merely be consulted on a new leader, with the final decision taken by Conservative MPs.
Speaking to The World At One on Friday, Mr Maude said it was vital the leader of the Conservatives could rely on the support of the majority of MPs.
Refusing to say whether Conservative activists had made a mistake in electing Iain Duncan Smith to lead the party in 2001, Mr Maude did however admit that it “illustrates the problem of the current system.”
“You can elect a leader of the party who does not command support of the majority of MPs,” he agreed, when asked about Mr Duncan Smith’s assumption of the Tory leadership.
Mr Maude described being leader of the opposition as the most difficult job in politics.
“You cannot begin to do it without the solid support of your colleagues in parliament,” he said.
The Conservative chairman added that activists risked harming the electoral fortunes of the party if they voted against the proposed new rules, with fears that disagreements over the plans could delay the election of a successor to current leader Michael Howard.
Mr Howard announced his design to resign after losing the last general election in May, but said he would give his party time to revise its leadership election system before formally standing down.
The planned changes to the method of electing a Tory leader will be made by 1,300 senior party members in a ballot which closes on September 27th.
If the new proposals are accepted, nominations for the leadership contest would be likely to open in the week following the Tory conference at Blackpool, in early October.
It is believed that the Conservatives could have a new leader by mid-November if the changes are ratified. If they are rejected, the existing method for electing a leader would be used, which would mean delaying a result until the New Year, reports suggest.
Leadership contenders so far include former chancellor Kenneth Clarke, former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind and David Cameron, the current shadow education secretary.
Speaking to BBC News on Saturday, former Tory chairman Chris Patten announced his support for former cabinet colleague, Mr Clarke and said he would be the candidate Tony Blair would least like to see selected as Conservative leader.
“He has got more experience than anybody else, he is a wonderful combative House of Commons performer, who was right on Iraq, and I think that’s an extremely important consideration,” said Lord Pattern.
“It would be nice if both the country and Parliament and MPs were sensible this time and they actually voted for a winner. We are fed up with voting for leaders of the opposition,” he added.
