VIRGINIA Bottomley will not say who she voted for in the third round of the Tory leadership contest on Tuesday until after the final result is announced in September.

Mrs Bottomley, MP for south west Surrey, told The Herald that she wants local party members to decide for themselves whether they want Kenneth Clarke or Iain Duncan Smith to succeed William Hague as leader of the Conservative Party.

An "excellent meeting" of key local party activists has already been held, said Mrs Bottomley, and she is planning a series of other events to discuss the contest.

"I have received extensive correspondence and e-mails on the matter from across the constituency. I want to encourage as much participation as possible," said the MP. She added that many constituents seemed drawn by the "charisma and appeal" of Kenneth Clarke.

The former health secretary expressed regret at the result of Tuesday's vote in which former front-runner Michael Portillo was ousted from the leadership race by just one vote.

"I am enormously sympathetic to Michael Portillo's position," she said. "He is obviously hugely talented and it must be a great loss to him."

The constituency's 2,000 party members will receive ballot papers in mid-August and have until September 11 to vote by post for either Clarke or Duncan Smith.

The winner will be announced on September 12. This is the first time this system has been used to decide a Tory leadership battle.

Marcus Green, agent for the South West Surrey Conservative Association, said: "After the Tories' 1997 defeat, it was felt strongly that the time was right to reorganise the party's structure and rules.

"This new leadership election system is the most democratic of all the UK's political parties. The MPs decide who is best for the job and the rest is left up to the members."

Mrs Bottomley hopes that the eventual winner will appeal to young people and successfully combat the sense of alienation people feel from British politics.

"The new leader will need enthusiasm and flexibility while holding on to personal responsibility, low regulation, and the importance of the family and countryside," she said.

Mrs Bottomley promised that she will loyally support whoever emerges as leader of the Tory Party.