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Directly addressing Tory members, Tom Tugendhat has vowed to serve “with conviction”.

Mr Tugendhat added: “I know what drove them, I know what drove me. Leadership. It is not about empty promises or government by management consultancy, it is not about managed decline or talking our country down. Leadership is about making choices that serve our country and our people best.

“I will serve our country, I will lead with conviction, I will act decisively. My mission is the prosperity and the happiness of the British people. Together we can win.”

Reminding the conference about his time as a soldier, Tom Tugendhat has claimed he knows what leadership is from his time in Afghanistan.

He said: “I’m standing because what we need is leadership. I’m standing not just to become leader of the Conservative Party, but to be the next leader of this great country.

“Now friends, I know what leadership really is. Before I stood for Parliament, I was a soldier, I served our country and I faced our enemies. I know what leadership demands.

“When everything has been cut away and there is nothing left, character is what is left. In Iraq and Afghanistan I served in combat along the best. I’ve seen friends push themselves beyond their limits and some made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Tom Tugendhat has criticised his fellow leadership candidates for lacking in “substance” during their campaigns, as well as taking aim at “petty point scoring” in Westminster, Millie Cooke reports from the conference.

Speaking on the main stage of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, Mr Tugendhat said the country “can do better”.

He said: “We’ve heard platitudes not substance in this campaign. Too much about personality, not enough about principle.

“Too much about change without saying how. And I’m standing before you today because I’ve had enough of the lack of substance, the lack of principle, the lack of clarity.

“My friends, I’ve had enough of Westminster’s political games, petty point scoring and self-service. It’s not becoming of our great party, or our great nation. We can do better.”

Tom Tugendhat is on his feet using his last chance to convince delegates he is the right man to become the next Tory leader.

He told the conference: “Good morning conference!” but received a muted reception, to which he added: “Shall we try that again? Good morning conference!”

Mr Tugendhat then said: “The last four days here with all of you has helped deliver my disappointment and my anger into optimism. I can feel the determination, I can feel the energy, I can feel the hope... I know we can and we will rebuild this party.

“I know we can and we will reconnect with the British people. I know we can and we will restore trust. And I know if we restore trust, we can and we will win again.”

Kemi Badenoch came into this contest as a clear favourite but is now fighting to stay in the contest, David Maddox writes from the conference.

Her crown on the right seems to have been snatched by Robert Jenrick. Meanwhile she is in danger of being knocked out of the final two by Tom Tugendhat or James Cleverly as the candidate of the left.

She has not been helped by gaffes on maternity pay or putting civil servants in prison.

But Badenoch is the one with the most star quality which she needs to show today to get her campaign back on track.

As one MP in a rival camp put it: “ Kemi needs to win 3 nil today and Jenrick can get away with a 2 all draw.”

Stuart Andrew is now targeting the Labour party, claiming the party issued a “cynical attack” on pensioners by cutting winter fuel payments.

The chief whip said: “It was the Conservatives that put Labour’s cruel decision to cut the winter fuel payment into the news and forced a vote in Parliament.

“And it is the Conservatives that have shown that the phoney claim of the black hole is just smoke and mirrors. And we will keep going. We as Conservative MPs owe that to you and we as Conservative MPs owe it to the country.”

The Conservative chief whip has admitted the party suffered a bruising defeat at the general election.

But, despite the hueg loss, Stuart Andrew said the Tories are not done.

He added: “We all know that the general election result is not what we wanted or what I believe the country deserved.

“Despite the very best efforts of so many of you here we lost so many brilliant MPs who I and I know you hope to see back on those green benches again. But that will take every effort over the next four years, an effort we all need to put in.

“And okay, yes, we’re bruised, yes, we’re deflated, and yes, we may only have 121 MPs. But conference, let me tell you, we are certainly not done. In fact, we are only just getting started.”

Chief whip Stuart Andrew, who is introducing the candidates, jokes about the 1990s series House of Cards, David Maddox writes from the conference.

In it the series the chief whip eliminated the rival candidates one by one.

Andrew takes Urquhart’s most famous line. “Some of you may think it is a coincidence I am here... but I couldn’t possibly comment,” he says to laughter.