BRITAIN: Kenneth Clarke will today gamble his Tory leadership bid on his opposition to the war in Iraq in a speech setting out his priorities for the party.
The former chancellor's formal declaration of his candidacy on Tuesday night has lit up the smouldering campaign to replace Michael Howard.
Mr Clarke must defeat David Cameron in the early rounds of a contest to take on the front-runner, right-winger David Davis. His opposition to British involvement in Iraq - he was one of the few Tory MPs to vote against the war - underlines his claim to be the candidate best placed to challenge Labour, thanks in large part to his experience as chancellor and home, health and education secretaries, which distinguishes him from the other candidates and emphasises his appeal to a wider range of voters.
But his candidacy could backfire if Tory MPs, most of whom voted for the war, object to being told that they were wrong.
"I am not going to address it on the basis of 'I told you so' . . . What we have to address is what we do now," Mr Clarke told the BBC. With two failed leadership attempts behind him, he knows that he must build swiftly on the momentum he has created.
Mr Cameron's supporters argue that Mr Clarke has failed to win over any new MPs. The shadow education secretary will discuss his vision of British society in a speech in Devon today.
But several senior Tories predicted that the contest would be a fight between Mr Davis and Mr Clarke. "It's the end of Cameron: he's completely overreached himself," claimed one.
Tim Yeo, who decided to step down from the race this week, said of Mr Clarke: "He has brought a new dynamic to the leadership contest and will put pressure on some candidates who perhaps are struggling for support."
Mr Davis, the shadow home secretary, is expected to spend much of the next month touring the UK. His brief allows him to retain a high profile without formally declaring his candidacy.