THE leadership of the Conservative party should be handed to someone from the younger generation, according to the leader of Kent County Council.

Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said it was time for the torch to be passed to someone who was not associated with previous Conservative governments.

And he warned the party against a protracted debate about what it stood for.

He said: "People know exactly what the party stands for and know what our principles and values are. They have been the same for a hundred years or more. To have a rather childish debate about what the party stands for is not what is needed.

"Michael Howard was an outstanding leader but I think he is right in not wanting to fight the next election and to hand over the torch to someone from the new generation. We do not want people who were the big players during the Thatcher and Major years. It is time to move on."

His comments came as Mr Howard indicated that he expected to be replaced as leader by Christmas and endorsed calls for an open and honest debate about the party’s future.

Early front runners for the job of leading the party are George Osborne, appointed as shadow chancellor and David Cameron, shadow education spokesman.