MR Michael Howard's "dream ticket" bid to snatch the Tory leadership has been thwarted by Mr William Hague's last-minute decision to join the race to succeed Mr John Major.
The former secretary of state for Wales is expected to declare his candidacy this morning as is the former health secretary, Mr Stephen Dorrell. That brings to six so far the number of former ministers battling for the job vacated by Mr Major within hours of last week's shattering election defeat.
Mr John Redwood, the 1995 leadership challenger, and Mr Howard both announced their candidacies yesterday. Mr Kenneth Clarke and Mr Peter Lilley have already declared.
The former prime minister is expected to consult party whips at Westminster this morning about the formation of a temporary shadow cabinet, pending the leadership contest expected to take place in mid-June.
But as the party's surviving 165 MPs make their way to Westminster, a fresh burst of recrimination combined with a revival of old battles to assure them of a bitter contest for the job of leader of the opposition.
In a swipe at Mr Redwood, the former home secretary claimed his loyalty to Mr Major among his credentials for the succession. Mr Redwood, by contrast, said he alone of all the candidates could face Mr Tony Blair across the dispatch box without need to apologise for the failures of the last government.
With Mr Michael Heseltine's enforced withdrawal from the contest, Mr Hague (36) might quickly emerge as the bookmakers' favourite. But he will face close questioning this morning about his apparent decision to renege on an agreement with Mr Howard, late on Monday, that he would support him in return for the deputy leadership and the chairmanship of the Conservative Party.
Rueful Tories - contemplating possibly a two-term struggle back to power - may have raised more than an eyebrow at the news that Mr Hague and Mr Howard had clinched their deal over champagne.
While Mr Hague's supporters denied that an agreement was reached, Mr Howard was emphatic. "An agreement was reached with Mr Hague. He was certainly entitled to have second thoughts," said Mr Howard, while maintaining: "I have the highest regard for Mr Hague. I certainly intend that he should play a part in the team."
Mr Redwood, the arch-Eurosceptic, insisted he would want Mr Clarke - blamed by many Tories for preventing Mr Major from ruling out the option of joining a single currency - to serve in his shadow cabinet.
Meanwhile, the former Labour Chief Whip, Mr Derek Foster, who accepted the post of Minister of State at the Office of Public Service at the weekend, has decided he will not take it up and is expected to run for one of the posts of Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.