WELCOME, Ken Clarke, to the Tory leadership race. And if the Conservatives were selecting a leader to take them into an imminent General Election, he would undoubtedly be their man.

His image of a being genuine down-to-earth beer-drinking bloke in comfy shoes - an image no doubt carefully spun, no matter what he says - makes him the one leading Tory who appears as a real person to the electorate. He has a sense of humour that lifts him above the drab grey suits so often associated with this party, and he has a pugnacious personality that would give Labour the severest pounding it has received since it was elected in 1997.

His connections with the tobacco trade are concerning but, just like his one time support of the euro, he's brazen enough to be able to ride them out.

But the election is not tomorrow. It is in perhaps four years time. Mr Clarke will then be nearly 70 and he will be asking the electorate for the opportunity to do an extremely hectic job for the following five years.

Although ageism is not a pleasant trait, realism has to be listened to.

However, what alternatives are there to an ageing Mr Clarke? David Davis, a cold fish who is probably too devious to unite a party that enjoys tearing itself apart? David Cameron, a toff too inexperienced to know even his own mind?

It may well be that the Tories have no choice other than to belatedly give Mr Clarke a go - although this is the party that always contrives to elect the leader it does not want.

The right sentence

ON August 10, we argued that although Kelly Ann Rogerson had pleaded guilty to three counts of child neglect she should not be sent to jail.

Although a term of imprisonment might have sent out a tough signal to other parents considering dumping their kids so that they could have a break in the sun, the harm the separation would have done to Rogerson's children would have been immeasurable.

Darlington magistrates were right, therefore, to give her a suspended sentence yesterday. This means she will only go to jail if she commits another offence during the next year.

It is to be hoped that she has learnt her lesson and can keep out of trouble. For the sake of her children.