Power struggle in the Tory Party

George Osborne is Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, MP for Tatton and former political secretary to William Hague

GEORGE OSBORNE

Who is he: Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, MP for Tatton and former political secretary to William Hague

Loyalties: Ally of David Cameron - Blair to his Brown - and regarded as a British version of a US neo-conservative

Friends: Bright, pleasant, free-thinking moderniser who comes across well on television

Enemies: Rich toff with no idea of real life; helped unveil the Blair "lies" poster

Survival: Too young, untested and hinterland-free to harbour ambitions for the top job this time

DAVID CAMERON

Who is he: Head of policy co-ordination, succeeded Douglas Hurd as MP for Witney

Loyalties: Orthodox right-winger dressed in "moderniser" garb; labours under weight of being described as Howard's preferred successor

Friends: Emotionally literate, charming and clever

Enemies: Adviser to Norman Lamont at the time of Black Wednesday; Old Etonian

Survival: The leading candidate of the "skip a generation" tendency

LIAM FOX

Who is he: Co-chairman of the Conservative Party, briefly a Foreign Office minister 1996-97

Loyalties: Self-appointed keeper of the true Thatcherite flame

Friends: Twinkle-eyed smoothie with a deft political touch

Enemies: Slippery chancer who was author of the disastrous "patients' passport" health policy; not a member of the nice party

Survival: Popular with the right-wing grassroots, but lacks crossover appeal to the centre that the party now needs

ALAN DUNCAN

Who is he: Shadow secretary of state for international development and a self-made millionaire

Loyalties: Former extreme libertarian right-winger turned cuddly moderniser

Friends: Brave, funny; trying hard to reposition the Tories as the party that cares about world poverty

Enemies: A failed attempt to create a Conservative Peter Mandelson; lacks the common touch

Survival: Very few natural supporters; relies too heavily on self-promotion

ANDREW LANSLEY

Who is he: Shadow secretary of state for health, former head of research at Conservative Central Office under Margaret Thatcher

Loyalties: Centrist advocate of the strategy of matching Labour spending on core public services

Friends: Thoughtful moderniser in touch with the modern world

Enemies: Pompous architect of William Hague's hopeless 2001 campaign

Survival: Possibly too colourless to stand out in any identity parade of moderate Tory suits

JOHN REDWOOD

Who is he: Spokesman on deregulation, "shadowing" a department that does not exist; unsuccessful leadership contender in 1995 and 1997

Loyalties: Thatcherite advocate of small, low-tax government with limited support even among true believers

Friends: Brave and intelligent enough to take his argument to logical conclusions

Enemies: Weak appointment by Howard that signalled a lurch back to the past; that is not logical, Captain

Survival: His electoral appeal within and outside the party has been tested to destruction

DAVID DAVIS

Who is he: Shadow home secretary, who stood aside to give Howard a free run last time

Loyalties: Favourite with the party membership as an uncomplicated, right-wing authoritarian

Friends: Tough, charming, scores well on the normality index; able to surprise those who under-estimate him

Enemies: Vain, disloyal loner incapable of reaching out to new electoral territory

Survival: The bookies' favourite whose chances depend on the grassroots retaining their right to vote

MALCOLM RIFKIND

Who is he: Foreign Secretary in John Major's government who lost his seat in 1997 and has just made it back in Kensington and Chelsea

Loyalties: Patrician one-nation Tory with gravitas and clean hands

Friends: Grown-up grandee who called the Iraq war correctly

Enemies: Patronising retread who comes across as aloof and reminds people of the Thatcher years

Survival: Has limited appeal outside the 'Newsnight' studio but carries effortless authority

TIM YEO

Who is he: Spokesman on the environment and transport, who briefly shadowed both health and education

Loyalties: Long-running Thatcher dissident who has form as a one-nation moderniser

Friends: Media-friendly opponent of the "nasty party" tag; always plausible

Enemies: Over-rated lightweight with unrealistic leadership ambitions

Survival: Lacks any obvious constituency of support, but always keen to throw his hat in the ring

KEN CLARKE

Who is he: Eminent backbencher, director of British American Tobacco, former chancellor and cabinet bruiser

Loyalties: Bluff, common-sense, pro-Europe Tory with a relish for a political scrap

Friends: Effortless connection with the voters; hugely experienced

Enemies: Only ever stirs himself for leadership challenges - if then

Survival: Still plays well at the box office, but has tried and failed so often that the leadership would sit oddly on him now