I think without a doubt that Ken Clarke is the only man who could unite and bring victory for the conservatives in 2009. He is the only man in the party that seems to be popular with the voters and is in contact with the real world. Scott Hutchings, Taunton

Ian Duncan Smith: you got rid of an honourable man who could have led you to victory. I have voted Labour all my life until now. Blair would have stood no chance against IDS or Anne. Now wait another four years. Maurice Darton, East Cowes

The Conservative Party needs someone to match Gordon Brown. That person is Malcolm Rifkind, who has gravitas, credibility, depth of experience and the razor-sharp intellect required of the job. Kenneth Clarke, although an exceptional politician, is not acceptable to the party at large. Age has nothing to do with it - Churchill was far from young when he became PM. John O'Byrne, Dublin

It is necessary to skip a generation in order to exorcise remnants of anti-Tory feeling in the electorate. David Cameron is an effective speaker with an attractive personality, and yet appears to have the will to lead a fractious parliamentary party. He best symbolises a rejuvenated Conservative Party. George Bishop, Cannock

As a young member of the Tory party, I will be bitterly disappointed if Ken Clarke is not elected as our new leader. This is our final chance to have by far the best politician in the land as leader. He is a strong personality with a proven track record in senior government roles. He is the most well known Conservative and the public see him as a normal, charismatic and down to earth "bloke", not another unknown, like David Davis or David Cameron. All the other contenders would make good ministers but not one is in Clarke's league. Blair and Brown are afraid of him and would not relish facing him in parliament. The party needs to recognise that Ken is the only chance of the next Prime Minister being a Conservative and it must unite behind its most natural leader. If they do, they will win the next election. John Price, Wirral

Anthony Howard refers to Kenneth Clarke as the public's favourite choice as leader of the Tory party but he certainly is not as far as many members are concerned. His European stance alone makes him unacceptable and, although I have been a life-long Tory voter, I would not support a party led by him. Leslie McClelland, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

Ken Clarke is obviously the best choice for the Leadership of the Tory party. Please let us not be misled by the persons who chose the last three failures to have any influence on selecting the new leader. It seems clear that once public opinion is shown to favour a suitable person then every effort is made to choose someone else and we risk getting another misfit who will just lead the party onwards and downwards in opposition. Laurence Hill, Hove, Sussex

When will the Tory party learn that to put their policies into practice they first have to get elected. Tony Blair realised this. It is fairly obvious that the UK would elect an alternative to the Labour government, given the right leader. And, that leader can only be Ken Clarke. If he is not elected the Tories will only be selecting someone who is going to come second to Gordon Brown in 4-5 years' time. Barry Hawkes, Bourne End, Bucks

The underlying assumption Anthony Howard makes is that the aim in selecting a leader is to find the most popular candidate, even if that candidate has a record of trying to divest this country of its right to govern itself. The supposed achievements of Mr Clarke in his ministerial career were not very obvious at the time and his role in the defenestration of Margaret Thatcher - and the start of the steady decline in Tory fortunes - is hardly a recommendation for him to become the leader. Anthony Back, Wellington, Shropshire

Anthony Howard may be right in saying that Ken Clarke is the most popular Tory MP amongst voters in general, but that is because most voters pay little interest in politics and his popularity is based on his personality and common touch. His fanatical views on the EU mean that he will never get the approval of Tory activists. If he was to become leader Tony Blair would be delighted; any time he was in trouble he would simply raise the subject of the EU and watch the Tory party self-destruct. Michael Canton, South Petherton, Somerset

I've lost track of the number of times Anthony Howard has suggested that Kenneth Clarke's popularity ought to gain him the Conservative Party leadership. Clarke has, quite rightly, always been rejected because he does not believe in the principles that most of the party does. Mr Howard might be happy to sell his principles for electoral gain. Others of us are not. Furthermore, Clarke has always made it clear that, as leader, he would set out party policy as he wanted it and the rest of us would have to go along with it - and if he is not to be leader, under those conditions, then he will not contribute to the front bench at all. This pettiness and arrogance itself demonstrates that he would not, if given the job, turn out to have leadership quality. Clarke wouldn't even try. Alex Swanson, Milton Keynes

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