THE two contenders for the Conservative Party leadership locked horns in York - and promised to put Yorkshire affairs at the top of their agenda.

David Cameron and David Davis held a hustings debate for the city's Tory members at York Racecourse last night as they continued their battle to replace Michael Howard at the helm of the Conservative Party.

The pair were trying to win over rank- and-file party activists who are voting on which of them should lead the party following their head-to-head debate.

Mr Davis, who was born in York and is MP for Haltemprice and Howden, arrived at the meeting claiming he was winning the battle for the "hearts and minds" of Conservative voters, while Mr Cameron said he was confident of "getting a good response" from the city crowd.

The winner of the contest will be announced on December 6, following the counting of some 300,000 postal votes.

Mr Cameron said: "I have a clear message about how the Conservative Party has to change and get back in touch with people's aspirations.

"We need a modernising, passionate Conservative Party which appeals to young people and to women. It is a very positive message about our identities.

"I have now got the backing of 111 MPs - William Hague, a good Yorkshireman, is backing my campaign and I am extremely pleased about that. We are at York Races and we have still got many furlongs left to go."

Mr Davis said: "I am a Tyke myself. I am in my home town - I was born in York. I think I have a majority of support in Yorkshire.

"In the past, Yorkshire has had a very large number of Tory seats and we are simply not in the position we ought to be in. I am the man to change that.

"I will debate the things that matter - health, education, housing, crime. I have got a message they (Yorkshire voters) will like about solving their problems in their areas."

Mr Cameron is the bookmakers' favourite to win the contest. The York event was one of 11 hustings, with the debates being held across England, Scotland and Wales.

Before the pair landed in York, they had been debating in Newcastle. At the racecourse, Mr Cameron also denied suggestions that he had not offered shadow cabinet jobs to colleagues in the event that he was elected.

"I haven't offered any jobs to anyone," he said. "The focus now is on winning the contest."

Updated: 10:39 Wednesday, November 16, 2005