More MPs back hopeful Davis

David Davis's campaign to succeed Michael Howard as Tory leader continues to gather momentum with the endorsement of three more MPs.

Former Treasury minister John Maples, shadow Europe minister Graham Brady, and the newly-elected Nadine Dorries all said that they would be backing the shadow home secretary.

The support of Mr Maples, who is seen as coming from the Conservative centre-left and who backed Kenneth Clarke in the 2001 leadership contest, will be seen as further evidence of Mr Davis's ability to attract support from across the party.

Mr Maples told the Financial Times that he was backing Mr Davis because he believed that he had the right "personal qualities" to lead the party.

"His background is not typically Conservative and he has very good communication skills and clear ideas," he said.

Mr Brady, who is from the party right, said he believed that Mr Davis would carry forward Tory reform agenda of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

"I joined the Conservative Party in the 1980s because it had a radical programme of extending opportunity and giving millions more people a real stake in our country," he said.

"The Conservative principles that David rightly emphasised would be most likely to carry that programme forward."