I don't think we want to waste the next three or four years wasting our time arguing over these issues

John Redwood

Mr Redwood was speaking at a party conference fringe meeting called Conservative policy - what now? held by Wessex Area Tories.

He told the audience new policies on schools and hospitals were necessary for the Conservatives but it would be "very foolish" to drop opposition to further European integration.

There had been widespread suggestions that by adopting support for relaxation of drug use, the Tories could regain power.

But, despite describing himself as a "fairly liberal person", Mr Redwood insisted these were not crucial issues for the electorate.

Hard-fought issues

"I do have a suggestion for Iain (Duncan Smith) because I don't think we want to waste the next three or four years wasting our time arguing over these issues.

"I think where there is a hard-fought issue, like perhaps the legalisation of cannabis, why not offer a free vote and then those of us trusted as MPs could consult and exercise our vote accordingly.

"I don't think we want to take up our time rowing over these relatively minor matters from the point of view of overall electoral impact when there are so many more important things we agree about and need to talk about in order to win the election."

He said he was sure William Hague, in the run-up to the election, had been "very conscious" of the threat posed to the Tory vote by single-issue anti-European parties.

Less bureaucracy

"It would be very foolish to dilute our message when there's still that threat," he warned.

Schools policy was one of the Conservatives' strongest and most popular suits, he went on, with its emphasis on less central government control and bureaucracy.

On health there was now more cross-party consensus in terms of support for "blurring the edges rather more between public and private provision".

He suggested hospital patients be allowed to pay for satellite television, more elaborate meals or phone and faxes in their room if they wanted them.