Britain: A senior figure in David Davis's Tory leadership election campaign yesterday indicated the level of frustration inside the Davis camp when he accused Old Etonian David Cameron of "sucking up to the press" and thinking he was born to rule.
He also condemned the BBC for "taking leave of its senses in its support" for Mr Cameron and charged the written press of being "servile" towards him.
The claims were made by Derek Conway, the whip and close ally of Mr Davis. He also accused "the office of Michael Howard" of appalling behaviour and dirty tricks against Mr Davis.
The outburst, typical of Mr Conway's approach, will annoy Mr Davis, who has been trying to cool the temperature and shift the debate to policy.
His chances of doing so were also not helped when his one-time rival, Liam Fox, ousted by MPs from the contest on Thursday, was quoted in the Mail on Sunday accusing Mr Davis of spreading smears about his alleged gay past.
Expressing the frustration inside the Davis camp at the way in which Mr Cameron has raced ahead in the contest, Mr Conway attacked the BBC's "support" for Mr Cameron. "I think the BBC have decided who they want to lead the Tory party . . . And, maybe that makes it more exciting for them," he said.
Mr Cameron yesterday won a near endorsement from the former prime minister John Major who said he was "getting more comfortable by the day" with the Conservative party as the influence of right-wingers diminishes. He said on BBC1's Sunday AM: "I think it's a very attractive direction in which we are now headed." He stressed he was making no formal endorsement of either candidate.
Mr Davis recognises he has probably less than a fortnight to turn around his rival's lead.
Ballot papers are due to be despatched next Friday, and previous experience shows that party members vote quickly. The final result will be announced on December 6th.
- (Guardian service)