Davis backed to lead Tories
David Davis is hotly tipped to succeed Michael Howard as party leader, according to a new poll.
Of the party members surveyed in the YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph, over half (54 per cent) named Shadow Home Secretary Mr Davis as their first or second choice to assume the helmsmanship when Mr Howard bows out later this year.
But there was bad news for former Chancellor Ken Clarke, with 54 per cent saying he was “completely unacceptable” and only 19 per cent said he was their first or second choice.
Mr Clarke topped the leadership poll of MPs in the last leadership election, but his unpopularity with the grassroots saw Iain Duncan Smith elected.
There was no other candidate when Mr Howard became leader, so no election.
Under the current election rules, party members have the final say in electing a new leader but proposed changes to the Conservative constitution could see MPs assume a greater role.
Shadow Education Secretary David Cameron is second favourite, with 30 per cent of party members backing him.
Dr Liam Fox, Shadow Foreign Secretary, was third on 24 per cent.
Tory grandee and former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind was in fifth place.
None of the likely contenders have yet declared they will stand for the leadership.
YouGov surveyed 615 party members and 1,005 Tory voters at the weekend.
