UK: LONDON: TORY PARTY LEADERSHIP CONTEST UPDATE

(18 Jun 1997) English/Nat

Britain's Conservative MPs will enter Thursday's final round of the leadership contest with the party bitterly divided between the camps of Kenneth Clarke and William Hague.

Former Chancellor Clarke appeared to have struck a decisive blow by announcing a surprise pact with his defeated opponent and ideological opposite John Redwood.

But - on a day of dramatic events - his surviving challenger Hague hit back with an equally unexpected endorsement from former Premier Baroness Thatcher.

Kenneth Clarke and John Redwood on Wednesday declared their unity at a press conference in London bathing in the glow of a new found friendship.

UPSOUND: You do know where we're going, don't you?

That's always been the big question for the Conservative party.

They've been at sea for a long time - and having lost the general election to Tony Blair, their splits over the European single currency only seem to have deepened.

That's why the Clarke-Redwood team is widely seen as a marriage of convenience.

After all, the two men are diametrically opposed on whether Britain should join the single currency.

It was something Clarke addressed head on.

SOUNDBITE:
If John or I had suddenly said we now agree with ourselves entirely on the single currency nobody would have believed us - if we had said we agree entirely with William Hague's latest formulation on the single currency no one would have believed the three of us. But what happened is people will respect us, I'm sure, for saying we do have a difference of opinion in principle which would arise in such a hypothetical situation that looks ever less likely to confront us at the moment that it is pointless to carry on this debate when there is so much we should be doing to work together.
SUPER CAPTION: Kenneth Clarke, former Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister)

As part of the deal between the two men, John Redwood would receive the prestigious post of Shadow Chancellor.

That would put him in charge of leading the opposition's approach to the economy.

He looked forward to some straight talking with his new partner.

SOUNDBITE:
This party needs some clarity. Ken and I will offer some clarity. And where we disagree we'll have a jolly good argument before we decide what the line is going to be. He's the leader but I'm not bad at arguing.
SUPER CAPTION: John Redwood, former contender in Conservative leadership contest

The remaining contender, William Hague, refused to submit to defeat.

The man who surprised observers by winning second place in Tuesday's second-round leadership vote told his supporters he would continue his fight for the leadership.

Many thought it would be him that John Redwood would support, given the fact the two men have similar right-wing policies.

And the sight of Redwood cosying up to the man who is the bugbear of many of his supporters may now have divided the right - to the fortune of Hague.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I have the greatest respect for both Ken Clarke and John Redwood, they are fine politicians and I want them both to work with me - to unite and to win the next election, but they know and we all know that the agreement between them is a deal and not a solution, We all believe in unity and the conservative party is crying out for unity, but real unity demands a clear position on which to be united. Not agreement to differ.
SUPER CAPTION: William Hague, Leadership contender

One former leader who wouldn't tolerate anyone differing with her policies is former Prime Minister - now Baroness - Margaret Thatcher.



SOUNDBITE: (English)



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