JUST when it seemed that there was no room left in the crowded field of Conservative Party leadership contenders, another candidate looks set to squeeze in.

Backbenchers on the traditional Eurosceptic Right of the party have decided that they are dissatisfied with the line-up and want one of their number to stand. Talks are under way in the 25-strong Cornerstone group to see if Bernard Jenkin, former Shadow Defence ecretary, or Edward Leigh, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, will carry the torch for the Right. Meanwhile, it emerged that David Cameron, one of the frontrunners, had approached Lord Heseltine for his support.

The former Deputy Prime Minister was said to have confirmed, however, that he still supports his old colleague Kenneth Clarke. The peer said he believed that a “dream ticket” would be Mr Clarke standing with Mr Cameron as his deputy, a formidable alliance against the frontrunner, David Davis. Last week Mr Cameron did not rule out this possibility, although in June he met Mr Clarke and failed to reach a deal on the leadership.

Stuart Wheeler, another Tory grandee and one of its biggest donors, is holding a series of dinner parties to put potential party leaders on trial. Mr Cameron and Malcolm Rifkind are guests this week, with Mr Davis the week after, and they face tough questions from senior figures in the party.

Mr Wheeler said he believed that the winning candidate should give more financial incentives to married couples, as “unmarried mothers get protected too much” by the state.

The Cornerstone group is not satisfied by any of the many existing candidates. Mr Davis has ruled out renegotiation of EU treaties and served as a whip in the 1990s when many Eurosceptics rebelled over Maastricht.

Liam Fox, Shadow Foreign Secretary and the other leading rightwinger, is considered “robust” on Europe, but members of the Cornerstone group think he may be too socially liberal.

“There is a feeling that none of the candidates so far is quite right, and since there are quite a large number of us, we should have our own candidate,” said one MP.

The group hosted a hustings just before the summer recess, inviting Mr Davis, Dr Fox and Mr Cameron to make speeches and answer questions.

Mr Cameron, who represents the modernising wing of the party, was invited because of the importance he gives to marriage. After the meeting the MPs said that Dr Fox had been the most impressive.

Mr Jenkin, MP for North Essex, was an ally of Iain Duncan Smith when he was leader and served in his Shadow Cabinet. Edward Leigh is MP for Gainsborough and a lawyer by training. He worked briefly for Margaret Thatcher when she was Leader of the Opposition.

Cornerstone published a pamphlet last month, calling for the restoration of “faith, the flag and family”.

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