Major: No leadership favourite

Major Rules out Backing Leadership Hopeful

The former Prime Minister said there was an "excellent range of candidates to choose from". But he added: "I will vote, I will make my own choice in the secrecy of the ballot. I have no intention of indicating to anybody else for whom I will vote."

Mr Major's own leadership campaign had the blessing of his predecessor, Baroness Thatcher - a step he said he will not follow.

"I am a member of the Parliamentary party. I have as much right to vote as any other member of the Parliamentary party but I will not seek to influence others by indicating what my choice is. They are grown up politicians and they will make their own choices," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

He also ruled out getting involved in the leadership campaigns "behind the scenes".

Mr Major defended his own decision to step down as the leader of the party so quickly after the unequivocal defeat in the General Election. He announced his resignation on the morning after the election and spent the rest of the day watching cricket at The Oval in south London.

"I think it's absolutely the right thing to do. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that after an election defeat the Conservative Party must regroup and must prepare itself to win the next election," he said.

"I think the sooner we can prepare, the sooner we have a new leader and the sooner we can then turn all our attentions to the shortcomings of the new Government where we perceive there to be shortcomings, the better," said Mr Major.

"I don't believe that could readily have been done unless there was a new leader, so it seemed to me very much in the interests of the Conservative Party restoring itself to full vigour to have a new leader as quickly as possible," he added.

Mr Major admitted later that, to some extent, he missed being Prime Minister and indicated that he would stay on as an MP for the duration of this Parliament.

"To have been Prime Minister of Britain is a very remarkable privilege. You don't walk away and wash your hands of that straight away," he said. I don't wish to say anything other than that it was a great privilege to serve as Prime Minister. To an extent you miss it."

Asked if he intended to stay an MP for five years, Mr Major said: "I was elected to Parliament by my constituents in Huntingdon and in Parliament I shall stay."

Major Abandons "Wait and See" Policy on Europe

Boost for Hague Leadership Campaign