Former British Finance Minister Kenneth Clarke said yesterday he was the man to lead the opposition Conservative Party back to power and denied that, at 65, he was too old for the job.

Mr Clarke entered the Conservative leadership battle on Tuesday night, vowing to end years of domination by Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party and tempering his enthusiasm for Europe in a bid to win support within his eurosceptic party.

The Tories are seeking their fifth leader in eight years after losing a third consecutive election to Blair in May.

As he left his London house yesterday morning, Mr Clarke - known for his love of cigars, cricket and jazz and trademark suede shoes - said he was ready for the challenge.

"I'm getting frustrated by the fact we've been out of office for eight years," he told reporters. "I desperately want to see the Conservative party make quick progress in getting back into power."

Asked about his age, Mr Clarke said: "In this day and age it's quite ridiculous to say I'm too old. Actually, if you look around politics there are some very active politicians who are a lot older than I am."

Current Conservative leader Michael Howard is 64 and has said he is too old to fight another campaign.

Other leadership candidates include home affairs spokesman David Davis, former Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind and education spokesman David Cameron.

Mr Clarke, one of the Conservatives' best known and experienced figures, has twice before tried to take the helm of the party which ruled Britain for 18 years up to 1997.

He alienated many members of the party with his pro-euro views but recently admitted he was wrong to assume in the 1990s that the single currency would bring economic stability.

Asked about his views on the euro yesterday, Mr Clarke said the issue was not crucial.

"I can't understand why I created this sensation by saying that the whole question of the euro doesn't seem to me likely to come on to the agenda for the next, well, 10 years or so.

"It strikes me as a statement of the pure obvious that there isn't the slightest chance of the British or the Swedes joining the euro, probably in my political lifetime."

Mr Clarke served as Home Secretary (Interior Minister) after the Conservatives' last election win in 1992 and was appointed Finance Minister a year later.

He won plaudits for overseeing a period of falling unemployment, low inflation and low interest rates.

He opposed Mr Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq, in defiance of his party's leadership.

Mr Blair is due to step down before the next election, expected in 2009, with Finance Minister Gordon Brown likely to take over.

Mr Clarke's supporters say their man, as a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, will be well placed to attack Mr Brown as signs of Britain's economy faltering begin to mount.

Some members of the Labour party have admitted Mr Clarke is their most feared opponent.

Mr Clarke's hastily assembled campaign website flagged up comments from Labour parliamentarian Ian Gibson, saying:

"I have always thought that Clarke would be more of a danger as he identifies much more with the public than anyone else.

"In an era when people are disillusioned with politics that is very important."