The Tories are too right-wing to win a general election, Conservative grandee Ken Clarke says

Mr Clarke noted the party hadn't won an election in 23 years

Former cabinet minister Ken Clarke walks to the Conservative party conference ahead of Home Secretary Theresa May in Birmingham (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

The Conservative party is too right-wing to win a general election, one of the party’s chief grandees has argued.

In an interview with the New Statesman magazine Ken Clarke said David Cameron’s attempt to modernise his party had not yet succeeded and that it had not won any elections since lurching to the right.

“No one seems to be able to win elections nowadays. I belong to the Conservative party that usually won elections!” he told the magazine.

“Before 1992, the Conservative party had been the national governing party of the country for most of my lifetime. And most elections I fought the Conservative party had won. And now we haven't been able to win an election for 23 years.”

Asked why the party hadn’t won an election in so long, Mr Clarke replied: “Well, it's become much too right-wing. Which I hope David [Cameron] will continue to seek to redress in coming times.”

The intervention is likely to infuriate Mr Clarke’s Conservative colleagues, coming as it does in the middle of an incredibly close-fought general election campaign.

The former Chancellor, who is no stranger to speaking his mind, is once again standing to remain Conservative MP for Rushcliffe, which he has represented since 1970.

Mr Clarke also warned that the Conservative strategy of making personal attacks on Labour leader Ed Miliband would cost the party votes and that he personally disapproved of the approach.

The intervention is in sharp contrast to comments made by Ukip leader Nigel Farage yesterday, who claims the Tories were no conservative enough.

“If I was a Conservative I would want to get rid of David Cameron,” Mr Farage said at the launch of his party’s manifesto. “Next time they might choose a Conservative.”

The Conservatives and Labour are broadly neck and neck in the latest polls and most commentators agree it will be difficult for either party to gain an overall majority.