On the final day of the Conservative conference in Bournemouth, Lord Strathclyde told delegates that the role of lord chancellor will be brought back in the House of Lords if the Conservatives win the next election.

The Tory leader in the Lords said: "On our first day, Michael Howard will name a lord chancellor. He will be a lawyer and he will sit in the House of Lords."

Strathclyde also signalled that Tory peers may amend the Hunting Bill to allow licensed hunts in a bid to wrong foot the Commons.

Conference also heard from 17-year-old Jessica Lever who urged the party to fight for the youth vote.

Lever, who is the great-niece of Milton Friedman, the economist, said: "The Conservatives have fantastic policies for young people and things would get better for us if there were a Conservative government."

It has also emerged that a series of Tory benefactors have come forward to fill a £20 million election war-chest.