Horsham MP Francis Maude has hinted he is ready for a return to the Conservative party front bench.

The former Shadow Foreign Secretary effectively withdrew from frontline politics in the wake of Michael Portillo's defeat in the Tory leadership contest.

Last summer Mr Maude, who ran Mr Portillo's campaign, said he was "desperately disappointed" by the party's rejection of his ally.

He warned it showed the Conservatives were "not serious about making the changes which are needed" to win the next general election.

But Mr Maude has now said he has been impressed by the progress made by the man who defeated Mr Portillo, Iain Duncan Smith.

Yesterday he gave a broad hint that he was ready to end his exile on the back benches, where he has been running the XChange policy think-tank.

Asked whether he would consider a return to the Tory front bench team, Mr Maude said: "I am always open to have conversations with my party leader."

He did, however, warn that a return to popularity could still not be taken for granted by his party.

Mr Maude said: "We can't assume we have a God-given right to move off the bottom and gain popularity. We have to earn it bit by bit.

"Iain has made some encouraging first steps in the first few months but there is a long way to go and not very much time, so the case I am making is that the process of renewal and change has to be entered into in a really wholehearted way."

He warned the party was not doing enough to appeal to women and ethnic minorities.