'Large egos' to blame for attacks on Tory leader

Close allies of Iain Duncan Smith yesterday accused Michael Portillo and Kenneth Clarke of trying to destabilise him in an attempt to force a re-run of last year's Tory leadership election.

Mr Duncan Smith's attempts to draw a line under feverish speculation that he may be ousted were undermined by continuing attacks by his supporters on Mr Portillo and Mr Clarke, whom he defeated when he won the leadership 14 months ago.

Angela Browning, a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, said: "I see it as one or two people with very large egos who can't accept that they – or the people they were supporting – actually lost last year, and put that behind them. They want a re-run and frankly that is self-indulgent and it is not in the best interests of the party."

Another Duncan Smith ally went further, describing Mr Portillo's opposition to the leadership as "suicidal" and accusing Mr Portillo's supporters of being "wicked and mad". He dismissed speculation that Mr Portillo might endorse Mr Clarke to forge a "dream ticket" alternative to Mr Duncan Smith. "They could never agree on Europe," he said.

The modernisers hit back, with Ian Taylor, a Tory MP and close ally of Mr Clarke, saying Mr Duncan Smith had to live up to his own "unite or die" challenge. Criticising the decision to impose a three-line whip for Monday's vote on gay adoption, he said: "It is for Iain to answer his own challenge. If we are to unite, he has got to show us that he can unite us, not provoke divisions on issues which are perhaps a sideline."

On a visit to Birmingham yesterday , Mr Duncan Smith said it was time for the Tories to "move on" from the speculation at Westminster and address the issues which mattered to the public. He said Tory MPs and grassroots members had responded "very, very positively" to his message.

With the Parliamentary year ending last night, the Tory leader won a short breathing space until next Wednesday, when the new session begins. But his critics will be looking for a strong performance against Tony Blair when he replies to the Queen's Speech. One said: "It is still very fragile. There are many MPs who think we would do better with Clarke or Portillo."

The Bruges Group, a Eurosceptic think-tank whose president is Baroness Thatcher, pledged its support for Mr Duncan Smith, warning that another leader might water down the Tories' "sound policy" on Europe.

Recalling Mr Duncan Smith's rebellions against John Major over the Maastricht Treaty, the group said: "He gained the overwhelming support of the party because he, unlike his opponents, will not trim his principles for short-term personal career advancement. The attacks on Mr Duncan Smith's leadership must be stopped. They will only succeed in undermining the party's credibility with the public."

Stuart Wheeler, head of spread-betting firm IG Index, who donated £5 million to the Tory party last year, said he would give a similar amount this year. He admitted the party had suffered "quite a serious" blip, but insisted Mr Duncan Smith would come through it. "I hope and I think that he will survive. I think he's adopting the right approach. He's gradually producing his policies," he said.

Mr Wheeler said Mr Duncan Smith "looked good" at evens to be leader of the party at the next general election. But he refused to put odds on whether the Tories would win.