Letter: Tories: a party or a think-tank?

Sir: There is a choice for the Conservative Party. Do they want a reasonable chance of winning the next election or do they want no chance?

Michael Howard, Peter Lilley and John Redwood will never appeal to enough of the electorate, whilst William Hague is both too like Major and too inexperienced. Ken Clarke, however, is widely admired in the UK both for his natural charm and for his time as Chancellor. He would be a refreshing and serious combatant to the flashy Tony Blair. Do the Conservatives care about power or are they content to let the party dissolve into right-wing think-tanks?

TOM KENYON-SLANEY

London W6