ALTON and Petersfield MP Michael Mates has shown his hand in the Conservative Party leadership race by declaring his support for Kenneth Clarke. He is one of a long list of senior Tories to put his name to a letter backing Mr Clarke, 65, in what is the party's fourth leadership contest in eight years. In a letter to The Times on Wednesday last week, Mr Mates (Hampshire East) joined North West Hampshire colleague Sir George Young in calling for Ken Clarke to take over the reins from Michael Howard. The letter declared: "The party needs a leader who can lead us to victory. This is about more than better marketing or new faces. It is about having a popular leader and policies that deal with the major issues of our time." During the party conference in Blackpool this week the former chancellor was making his third bid to become Tory leader, referring to himself as a "prime minister in waiting" who could put the Tories back in power. He and new-generation front-man David Cameron, 38, were said on Wednesday to be battling it out for second place behind front runner David Davis in a race that will be decided in early December. North East Hampshire MP James Arbuthnot has yet to decide on his preferred candidate. He told The Herald: "I am not sure whether all the candidates have yet declared that they are running, and I have not yet decided who to support."