Kenneth Clarke last night pledged to give ordinary Conservatives more say over the party's future direction if they elect him leader.

The offer came as Michael Portillo, front-runner to succeed William Hague, visited a south London school in an effort to boost his bid.

He is calling on other senior Tories to follow his example and visit front-line public services so that they understand the problems staff face.

Mr Clarke had earlier called for an end to the traditional top-down ethos of the party.

Tories had long suffered "apartheid", the Parliamentary elite acting regardless of the views of backbench MPs and party members, he said.

That had to change following the ''revolutionary" move of giving every member a vote in the leadership contest, according to Mr Clarke.