Tory leader William Hague has secured loyalty pledges from his most senior party colleagues as they try to quash rumours of a leadership bid following the general election. Michael Portillo told reporters that every member of the shadow cabinet was right behind Hague, and Francis Maude dismissed reports of a potential leadership bid as "unadulterated rubbish".

Amid the increasing speculation about who will lead the Conservatives after the election, former MP and London mayoral candidate Steve Norris is said by the Independent to be backing Michael Portillo in a leadership bid. Norris, currently in charge of recruiting party members from ethic minority backgrounds, has a close relationship with Portillo on the "socially-liberal" wing of the Tory party.

The Independent also reports on how two of the leading leadership contenders are using their websites to get their "personal visions" across. The internet sites for Anne Widdecombe and Michael Portillo - the only two members of the shadow cabinet to have their own websites - "reflect the contrasting personalities" of the high-profile MPs.