Conservative leadership favourite David Davis failed to win over waverers with a key conference speech in which he urged Tories to "walk tall".
Rivals David Cameron and Ken Clarke had raised the stakes with powerful platform addresses in Blackpool. But the shadow home secretary, not known as a strong speaker, failed to match their commanding performances when his turn came yesterday.
However Mr Davis insisted he was the candidate who could unite the party behind a "new idealism and a shared sense of purpose".
He was echoed by Dr Liam Fox, the last declared contender to address the conference, who warned Tories not to "trash" their past. However, Dr Fox also had a dig at the front-runner, suggesting his working-class origins did not qualify him to lead the party, saying leaders should be elected because of "where they are going to, not where they have come from".
The conference spotlight is seen as a crucial chance to impress activists who will eventually decide the contest. Tory MPs will decide which two candidates reach the final membership ballot in a series of knock-out votes.
With 66 MPs publicly declaring their support, Mr Davis should be guaranteed a place but speaking ahead of his address, he admitted that "doesn't matter".
"This is not over until it is over and the last round - which I expect to be in - will be with the party in the country and they have got to make up their mind what sort of party they want."
He acknowledged Mr Clarke as a "formidable player" but insisted he was glad the former chancellor was in the contest.
Mr Davis called on the party to remember former US president Ronald Reagan's "11th commandment - thou shalt never speak ill of a fellow Conservative".
However, his speech contained rebuffs to his two main challengers. Mr Davis insisted the issue of Europe "hasn't gone away", but Mr Clarke says his pro-Europe views should not be an issue.
Mr Davis said: "If the Conservative Party doesn't speak up for Britain's interests, then who will? We must and I will." He also clearly had Mr Cameron in his sights. The shadow education secretary had on Tuesday urged activists to admit they had failed and find the courage to change the party's culture and identity.
But Mr Davis said: "Yes, we need debate about our future; yes, we need to agree on change; but we don't need a collective nervous breakdown so let's stop apologising - and get on with the job."
Bookmakers lengthened odds on his winning in the wake of the under-powered performance and slashed their prices on Mr Cameron, with many putting him second favourite ahead of Mr Clarke.
Dr Fox drew a markedly more enthusiastic response with his assured performance which sounded a strongly Eurosceptic note and urged the party to "get up off our knees".
Having taken that jab at Mr Cameron he also took on Mr Davis, whose supporters claim his upbringing as the son of a single mother on a south London council estate as a major electoral asset.
"We should elect leaders because of where they are going to, not where they have come from," Dr Fox said.
Mr Clarke, often accused of being lazy, admitted at a fringe meeting that if elected "I do not have a dramatic, sudden jack-in- the-box sort of new initiative".
However, he insisted: "That is not lack of aspiration . . . This conference has put new enthusiasm into me, this party is not so depressed and demoralised as I thought." Mr Clarke also admitted he didn't know whether he would serve in the shadow cabinet if he was not elected.
Mr Cameron received endorsements from four new MPs following his speech but said he had "a lot of work to do" if he was to succeed Michael Howard. "What I have to do is convince MPs - and there are a lot among the new intake particularly who have yet to make up their mind - that I really can do it, that I have got the right ideas, that I can take the party forward," he said. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the trailing leadership contender, is tipped to back former Cabinet colleague Mr Clarke when he is knocked out but insisted he had not given the issue any thought.
Mr Howard will formally tender his resignation tomorrow, kicking off the leadership contest that has in practice been under way for months. Nominations will close the following Thursday. The new leader will be announced on December 7th. - (PA)