Viscount Rothermere has warned the Conservative Party it cannot take the Daily Mail's support at the next election for granted.

In his first interview, the Daily Mail and General Trust chairman said the paper would back whichever party was most supportive of the middle classes.

Lord Rothermere told the Independent's new supplement, MediaWeekly: "The Conservatives do not have a God-given right to expect the loyalty of the Daily Mail.

"The Daily Mail supports the middle class of this country and if the middle class of this country are better supported by another political party and feels that way then I am sure that Paul [Dacre, the newspaper's editor-in-chief] would make the corresponding decision."

Rothermere added that he admired Michael Howard as "a very considerable politician" but warned: "I don't think he is doing as good a job as many people hoped he would... but I think there is a long time to run and he may come through," he said.

"I think he has to work on his communications skills with the public."