Davis takes early lead among new Tory MPs

Tory leadership frontrunner David Davis is gaining support among the 55 Tory MPs who were newly elected at the general election.

Soundings at Westminster suggest the shadow home secretary has stolen an early lead among the new boys and girls whose votes will be crucial in a close contest.

Mr Davis's inroads appear to cover more than Right-wingers, who would be expected to gravitate to his tax cutting and anti-Europe agenda. Several centre-ground MPs have told the Standard that they too will vote for him if no strong candidate among the modernising wing emerges.

The views of the new intake could be crucial in the leadership contest, which heated up today with news that Michael Ancram, the deputy Tory leader, and Tim Yeo, the former environment spokesman, are both likely to stand. David Willetts and transport spokesman Alan Duncan are also preparing campaigns.

Mr Davis invited the 55 new MPs to a drinks reception, ostensibly to ask them for their views on ID cards and explain his plans to put pressure on Home Office ministers.

"He was impressive and charming," said one new MP. "It is quite flattering to be asked for your views on ID cards but everyone knew he was preparing for a leadership campaign.

"On the whole, the MPs seemed eager to impress him, rather than the other way round. He is so far ahead that people were keen to look like potential supporters, whatever their private views."

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who is testing the waters for a leadership campaign, has also made efforts to

make friends among the new intake.

After been out of Parliament for eight years, the former Foreign Secretary has amused colleagues by exploiting his own newboy status to pump hands and befriend fresh-faced MPs.

One MP claimed: "Malcolm has attended at least four induction courses held by the Commons to help newly elected MPs find their feet and learn the system.

"It's clever because he is presenting himself as 'one of them', which is flattering, whereas all of us know he is in the superstar league. He must have shaken hands with all of them by now."

The new intake has yet to show any marked leaning either to the Right or Left, partly because the more business-orientated selection system used to weed out oddballs encouraged would-be MPs to present themselves as sensible centre-ground Tories. But there are thought to be slightly more "modernisers" than Thatcherites.

One undoubted Davis supporter is his near namesake David Davies, the MP for Monmouth, who is described as "far more Right-wing than the real DD".