We must have the caring hearts and practical agendas of men such as Wilberforce

Iain Duncan Smith

Two shadow cabinet ministers were among Mr Clarke's new backers, who said they accepted his reassurances to appoint a predominantly Eurosceptic frontbench team.

Before his exit from the leadership contest, Mr Portillo was seen as standard bearer of "compassionate Conservatism" and both contenders have now tried to capture that ground with their responses to a survey by the Conservative Christian Fellowship.

Eurosceptic assurances

Nine former Portillo supporters declared for Mr Clarke in a letter to the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday.

They included shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Andrew Mackay, shadow attorney general Edward Garnier and former health secretary Stephen Dorrell.

In the letter the MPs said: "Many of us share a Eurosceptical viewpoint, but we are now supporting Kenneth Clarke because we believe that he is the candidate best placed to lead our party to victory and win over the lost Conservative voters.

Clarke's new backers

John Butterfill Stephen Dorrell Edward Garnier Damian Green Robert Key Julie Kirkbride Andrew Mackay Richard Ottaway David Ruffley Nicholas Soames

"We accept his assurances that he would appoint a shadow cabinet reflecting the predominant Eurosceptic view of MPs."

The other signatories were: Iain Duncan Smith's defence team deputy Robert Key, former Treasury adviser David Ruffley, shadow environment minister Damian Green, shadow treasury minister Richard Ottaway, John Butterfill and Julie Kirkbride.

A tenth MP, former armed forces minister Nicholas Soames, also says he will back Mr Clarke now Michael Portillo is out of the leadership race.

Their backing comes after Mr Clarke handed a concession to Tory Eurosceptics on Monday by announcing he would allow Conservatives to oppose the Nice Treaty on the European Union.

Although the Clarke camp will be pleased with the news MPs now only have a single vote for leader as part of the 330,000 membership of the party.

'Caring hearts'

Both contenders outlined their inclusive credentials in their answers to a survey conducted by Conservative Christian Fellowship.

They backed the efforts of faith-based communities and anti-exclusion groups and said they wanted to look at how to increase the number of female and ethnic minority Tory candidates.

Mr Clarke said it was a "scandal" that the party was hardly represented in inner city seats struck by poverty.

His political philosophy was based on the party's "centre right traditions", he said, stressing the need to adapt those values to the modern world.

Seen as a right-winger, Mr Duncan Smith urged: "We must have the caring hearts and practical agendas of men such as Wilberforce and Shaftesbury.

"We need to bring all of these values into the 21st century by harnessing people's best values with their self-interest."

The shadow defence secretary called for toleration of "different adult lifestyles" but both candidates said they did not support calls for gay marriages.

Pursuing a green agenda and increasing debt relief were other actions advocated by the two contenders in their survey answers.