Clarke: "Not concerned by Unity Candidate"

Clarke argues the leadership election is not a mandate for just one policy

Clarke Dismisses Threat of Right-wing 'Unity' Candidate

Mr Clarke responded to Peter Lilley's remarks by saying that even if the right-wing contenders did agree to put forward a single candidate in the second ballot, not all their supporters would follow their lead.

"If they are going to line up it doesn't mean that people are going to line up and vote with them," he told BBC1's On The Record  programme. "There are not blocs of marshalled voters being led by one person who can turn round to them and tell them to vote for somebody else. If any one of us pulls out the people who voted for them in the first ballot will disperse themselves among the other candidates."

He warned that whoever won the contest, they would not be able to impose their views on Europe on the rest of the party. "This leadership election is not going to produce a great new policy for the party," he said.

"Which ever one of the five wins will not be able to turn around the next day and say `my views on Europe are this, therefore the party's view is now this'."

"What a leader will of course do is lead a process of discussion which re-examines our policy on Europe... That is not going to be settled on Tuesday and the Tuesday after," he said.

He was dismissive of John Redwood's demand - that anyone serving in a Shadow Cabinet led by him would have to accept that Britain - would never sign up for monetary union.

"It would be a mistake if one of the other candidates believes that they can produce a rigid formula, which would be a formula for dividing the party," he said.