Redwood "A Disaster" As Leader

Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, if Mr Redwood would be a disaster, he said "Oh, of course. I don't imagine for one minute that the parliamentary party will take his candidature seriously if it comes forward".

He then went on to compare Mr Redwood to the unsuccessful Labour leader, Michael Foot. He said "The Conservative Party doesn't have to ditch everything it believes in. What the party has to do is not choose a sort of Michael Foot option, which is John Redwood."

Mr Garel-Jones said that to regain popularity the Conservative party must "affirm Britain's partnership with the EU" and not become a "glorified Referendum Party".

The former minister would not speculate on who he wanted to win the leadership contest, although he did say that Kenneth Clarke would make a very good leader of the opposition.

John Redwood, who challenged John Major for the leadership less than two years ago, has already revealed that he is likely to pitch for the top job.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "It is very likely I will run."

Mr Redwood said that he his discussed his candidature with 100 leading constituency members and officers who had said they would fully support him running in a leadership election. "I am seriously asking advice and consulting people. I will tell you when I have finally made up my mind. I am very close to making up my mind."

"It looks very encouraging. I have been very heartened by the number of colleagues who have either rung me or responded to my calls and who have said they do like the idea of my candidature going forward."

Despite the scale of the defeat, he said he believed it was still possible for the Conservatives to win the next general election. "I think we have got to regard five years as the period for rebuilding the party. I think it could be done. "I think it is an enormous task. It is an awesome task but I think it is possible."