Rifkind turns personal in Tory election

The Tory leadership contest turned personal yesterday when Kenneth Clarke's supporters said his rival Iain Duncan Smith did not look like an alternative Prime Minister. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former Foreign Secretary, pointed out Mr Duncan Smith's lack of ministerial experience as he announced his backing for his former Cabinet colleague Mr Clarke, despite differing with him over Europe.

Sir Malcolm raised doubts about Mr Duncan Smith's ability to win back the six million voters the Tories have lost since 1992, and appealed to the party's 300,000 members to accept that Mr Clarke was the man most likely to woo them.

He said the new leader "must be credible as an alternative Prime Minister in the eyes of both the party itself and the wider electorate. After careful thought and without wishing to ignore the difficulties, I am convinced that Kenneth Clarke is, by far, the right person". Sir Malcolm said Mr Clarke had the experience, intelligence, energy, vision and personality to make an impressive Prime Minister. "The party needs a leader who has national stature and a warm and effective rapport with the British public. That man is Kenneth Clarke".

Sir Malcolm had supported the leadership bid by his friend Michael Ancram, the former Tory chairman, who was eliminated in the first round and is now backing Mr Duncan Smith.

The Duncan Smith camp has hit back, accusing Mr Clarke of changing his views on Europe since 1997, when he stood on a joint leadership ticket with the Eurosceptic, John Redwood, who is backing Mr Duncan Smith. He reminded Mr Clarke that their joint statement opposed a "European federal state". Yesterday Mr Redwood questioned how Mr Clarke could square this with his support for the EU's Nice Treaty, saying Mr Clarke had "shifted his position markedly" since 1997, and his views were out of line with those of Tory party members.