The appointment of Mr Michael Howard as leader of Britain's Conservative Party looks all but guaranteed this afternoon after the last senior party figure ruled himself out of the race to find an effective challenger to the British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair.
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Former minister Mr Kenneth Clarke pledged to back Mr Howard, leaving him a clear run at the leadership - save a last-minute stand by a maverick.
"It's far more useful if I get myself behind Michael Howard," Mr Clarke told Sky News, ending two days of suspense over his intentions since the party axed its leader on Wednesday. "I'm not going to stand myself."
Mr Howard, a former government minister, launched his leadership campaign on Thursday, pledging to head for the political centre ground in a bid to wrest votes from Labour.
Analysts say Mr Howard is sure to test Blair more sternly than the hapless Mr Duncan Smith but is unlikely to be able to overturn Labour's dominance before the next election.
Conservative MPs have said they felt a new sense of hope as potential leaders successively united around MR Howard, believing they had to end the in-fighting that has dogged the party ever since Mrs Thatcher's resignation more than a decade ago.
Mr Clarke was the last heavyweight contender to rule out standing against Mr Howard, who already has the backing of 92 out of 165 Tory MPs.
The pair held talks after the right-wing shadow chancellor formally launched his campaign yesterday.
The Europhile former chancellor wanted reassurances about the direction Mr Howard intends to take the party.
Today Mr Clarke welcomed his pledge to lead from the centre and he ruled out a challenge. "I said I would have more talks with him but that has been linked now to the idea that I am lingering about thinking of standing," he said.
"I'm afraid my enthusiasm for standing for the leadership of the Conservative Party is no greater than it was when I last denied it on the doorstep about a week ago."