Kenneth Clarke himself, writing in the News of the World, has called for his party to "stop licking our wounds and arguing among ourselves, and take the fight back to Labour".

"Everything has changed. Our task now is to learn from our defeat and rebuild our party." writes Mr Clarke.

The former chancellor has urged his party to examine not only its presentation of policy, but the policy itself and take full advantage of Labour's "double whammy of inexperience and arrogance". He emphasises that the party should "pull itself together" over Europe and avoid negative campaigning. He reiterated his view that every MP should have a free vote in the Commons on joining a single currency, if the question ever arose.

He likened the Conservative party to his relegated soccer team, Nottingham Forest, "They know that they now have to train hard and play in the First Division next season to ensure a quick return to the Premiership. That is exactly the principle that should unite and motivate the Conservative Party. Nothing unites like success, and the brutal alternative is permanent, futile, opposition."

Mr Clarke promised that if elected leader he would order an immediate review of party organisation, and submit himself for re-election by party members under any new system that was agreed and declared that with him, "you see what you get and you get what you see."