British Conservatives are trying to learn from their international counterparts as they hail a centre-right resurgence across the world.

Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith is flying to Washington on Sunday for a meeting of centre right leaders, who will be welcomed with a dinner hosted by President George Bush.

The right, in all its complexity and variety, is on the march

William Hague Ex-Tory leader

That meeting comes after former US President Bill Clinton and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were among those at a English country retreat discussing the future of the centre left in Europe and America.

With the political climate in flux, the chairman of those talks, former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, signalled that Labour's "third way" would continue.

Left's 'failure to deliver'

The Washington meeting of centre right leaders in the International Democrat Union (IDU) is being chaired by former Tory leader William Hague.

Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's World This Weekend programme there was a clear trend of centre right parties notching up electoral success.

"A very important part of it is the failure of the left or centre left governments to deliver," said Mr Hague.

Duncan Smith says he rejects selfishness

"That is at a time of economic growth and they have not actually been able to fulfil the expectations people had of them."

Britain has so far missed out on the right's success elsewhere but Mr Hague argued the UK was just at a different point in the political cycle.

Speaking BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme before he flew to join 27 other leaders, Mr Duncan Smith was upbeat.

Helping hands

"The difference has been that in the last 10 years the centre right has not been in charge in many places around the world but now we see a resurgence," said Mr Duncan Smith.

Australia, America, Italy and Spain were examples of that success.

The Tory leader said centre right parties were promising better public services for voters but also ensuring people knew their neighbours would be helped too.

Mandelson rejects claims that Labour has no ideology

"That is the purpose of my politics, which is that it's wider than just selfishness. It covers others as well and what they believe about people who are not so well off."

It is the success of centre right parties and the fall of some centre left parties which has prompted Mr Blair's talks - dubbed a "wonkathon" by some - at a Buckinghamshire hotel.

The European left looks set to suffer another blow on Sunday as France goes to the poll amid predictions of another victory for President Jacques Chirac's coalition.

Battle of ideas

Organised by the Policy Network think tank, the event brought together European left wing thinkers, as well as Mr Clinton.

Mr Mandelson told the World This Weekend that the "third way" did provide a real ideological underpinning, which needed to be explained more emphatically.

'Wonkathon' guests

Bill Clinton Gordon Brown Patricia Hewitt John Reid Peter Mandelson

The public well-understood its principles of combining social justice, respect and responsibility and economic success, he argued.

Mr Mandelson insisted the centre right's successes were only "transient" and accused the Conservatives in Britain of trying to copy Tony Blair's language.

Some centre left government had become complacent and others had not adapted their strategics to address the new fears people had in the wake of 11 September, he argued.

John Reid scotched newspaper reports of a weekend of bathing in Jacuzzis and playing on croquet lawns. Instead, there had been serious work on real politics.

Dr Reid played down the fact that Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was not at the event, saying he had attended similar talks in the past.

The Independent on Sunday newspaper says Mr Prescott has joked to friends about his omission: "I'm too old Labour - my English is obviously not up to an international gathering of such a bunch of wonkers."