Ken Clarke: A true professional

Yet these are unready and untested. Indeed, is a decision needed today? A political party must be a broad church to gain a majority.

We must choose a leader who will let the Conservative party nurture its future prospects without personal zeal to get in the way.

Clarke is too experienced a politician to muddy the waters. His slightly scruffy jazz look beguiles plain speaking that we have lacked since Major.

Out of power the Tories need a man who can generate raw media noise. Make no mistake, Clarke is heavy crash metal to Duncan-Smith's easy listening folk music.

Just look at his own career: he has steered clear of the limelight for almost half a decade and yet now all eyes are back on him - the work of a true professional.

In fact, it is just this same trick that he needs to pull for the Conservative party as a whole.

Why I want Iain Duncan Smith as leader

By Martin Vickers

When the next general election comes the Conservatives must offer a distinctive alternative to what, by then, will be a rather tired looking Labour administration.

After a heavy defeat it is easy to assume that we must model ourselves on the opponents by whom we have just been defeated.

If we adopt that course we are sure to lose again.

If the Labour Government were to succeed in remodelling the NHS, raising our education standards and providing a first-class transport system then they would surely be re-elected.

For what reasons would the public opt for a group of untried, unknown opposition members when what they already have were delivering the goods? None at all.

The fact is, of course, that the Labour government will not deliver on health, education and transport. They didn't in their first term so why should we expect them to this time round.

Duncan Smith: "Given most thought to radical plans"

I saw the two contenders at a hustings meeting in London last month and it was clear that Iain Duncan-Smith was the one who had given most thought to credible and radical proposals for health, education and welfare reform based on long-established Conservative principles.

We cannot brush the European issue aside assuming that the single currency is the only aspect of note.

Week-by-week Parliament is debating matters that have a European perspective - it is self-evident that we cannot have a leader who disagrees with, not only two-thirds of the parliamentary party, but two-thirds of the electorate.

What would be the position if Tony Blair took an uncharacteristically bold decision and called a referendum on the single currency, campaigned to join and was beaten?

He and his Government would be totally discredited but how would the Conservative Party be able to take advantage of this when its leader had campaigned alongside Mr Blair?

This election will be a watershed for the Conservative Party I hope that the membership will respond by electing Iain Duncan Smith who, I am certain, has the vision to take us forward and to lead us back into power.