Brussels, 27/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The battle between Iain Duncan Smith and Kenneth Clark for the leadership of the British Conservative party entered its final phase as 300,000 party members have still until 12 September to cast their ballots. Although both maintain that they want to focus of reforms of hospitals, schools and transport, their one-to-one last week demonstrated once more that Europe was at the heart of the Tory campaign. Former opponent of the Maastricht Treaty and just as opposed to the Nice Treaty, Mr. Smith explained on the programme that "Great Britain has no need of and does not want the single currency, European army or European government". "I would never vote for the euro", he exclaimed to distance himself from his rival. He then added that he would refuse any further political integration within the European Union. His opponent, on the other hand, approved the principle of signing up to the euro. Mr. Clark has, moreover, participated with Prime Minister Tony Blair in a conference to back the project. He promised that, if elected, everyone in the party would be able to continue to express their opinions including against the euro. Mr. Clark explained that the economic conditions would have to be favourable for joining the European currency; which, he said, was not the case today.