UK News 31-10-2003 Howard In One Horse Race who: Michael Howard what: Likely to be elected new Conservative Party leader after Kenneth Clarke rules himself out where: LONDON when: Today snippet: "Michael Howard has made his pitch to become the next Conservative leader," reports the BBC. "Tory MPs greeted his campaign launch with cheers at a news conference in central London, where Mr Howard said he wanted a party `for all Britain and all Britons`." "The mourning for Iain Duncan Smith`s leadership was obscenely short," writes The Scotsman`s chief political correspondent, Jason Beattie. "Barely 18 hours after burying one leader, scores of Conservative MPs gathered [at the Saatchi art gallery in London] to celebrate the launch of Michael Howard`s campaign. Without any sign of remorse, the supporters swapped cheerful banter with the press as they awaited Mr Howard`s arrival." "Michael Howard has electrified the Westminster village in the past 48 hours," says James Blitz in The Financial Times. "The first electric shock came on Wednesday night when he emerged as the man who will now lead the Conservatives into the next election. The second came with his candidate`s speech in central London yesterday - an accomplished and confident address of a quality that has not been heard from a Tory leader for a long time." In an interview with The Telegraph today, "he denies that he is a harsh Right-winger and emphasises that the party will continue to champion the cause of the `vulnerable`." But his campaign has already hit a setback - William Hague and Michael Portillo have ruled out serving on his front-bench, as has Kenneth Clarke, who confirmed this morning that he will not stand against Mr Howard. [... more]

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