CAMERON
LONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters):
YOUNG PRETENDER David Cameron over-whelmingly won a poll of party colleagues to lead Britain's opposition Conservatives yesterday and is now hot favourite to become the next man to tackle Tony Blair's government.
Cameron, 39 and with only four years of frontline political experience, was supported by 90 of the party's 198 members of parliament, officials said.
WIDER POLL
He will now face right-winger David Davis, who secured 57 votes, in a poll of the wider party membership who must choose between them by early December.
Liam Fox, another hardliner, dropped out after securing only 51 backers. Veteran former finance minister Ken Clarke was ousted from the race in a first round of voting on Tuesday.
The Conservatives, who dominated 20th-century British politics, are seeking a fifth leader in little over eight years after three straight election defeats at the hands of Blair.
Cameron's comfortable victory will send a powerful message to the 300,000-strong wider party membership who must now choose between the final two candidates.
Conservative members - who have opted since 1997 for leaders who appealed to them but not the wider electorate - appear increasingly receptive to Cameron's message that the party must update its policies and image to win again.
"I want a party that looks to the future. A party that is a 21st century party, that is modern and compassionate and understands the aspirations and hopes and dreams of the people," Cameron told reporters outside parliament after the vote.
WILL NOT FACE BLAIR
A YouGov poll of Conservative activists in yesterday's Daily Telegraph gave Cameron a commanding lead over his rivals, with 59 per cent support. Davis trailed on 15 per cent.
Whoever takes the helm will not face Blair at the next election. The Prime Minister has already announced he will not stand for a fourth term. Cameron's inexperience makes him a risk. He has also been dogged by questions about drug-taking in his past.
Many politicians in Westminster say that at the age of 39 and with only four years' experience in parliament, Cameron could be battered by Blair.
But with nearly four years until the next election, he will be more battle-hardened by then and aged 42, only a year younger than Blair when he took power in 1997.
Blair's likely successor, finance minister Gordon Brown, will be 58 by 2009.
"Cameron is red hot favourite but his supporters have to hope their man can overcome the jinx which has scuppered so many ... favourites in the past," said Graham Sharpe of bookmakers William Hill.
