Chichester MP Andrew Tyrie has been tipped for a big promotion if Kenneth Clarke wins the Tory leadership contest.

Speculation at Westminster is that he will be asked to replace Dr Liam Fox as shadow health secretary.

The promotion would be seen as a reward for his ability and work as Mr Clarke's campaign manager.

However, Mr Clarke's campaign team and Mr Tyrie have played down the rumours.

The MP's office said he was concentrating his efforts only on helping Mr Clarke defeat Iain Duncan Smith in the race to be party leader.

The result of the ballot of the Conservative Party's 330,000 members will be announced next Wednesday, with the new shadow cabinet being announced shortly afterwards.

Other Sussex MPs who will be anxiously waiting for the announcement include the MP for Eastbourne, Nigel Waterson, the MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, Tim Loughton, and the MP for Arundel and South Downs, Howard Flight.

They all hold Opposition Front Bench roles at present.

The unveiling of the new shadow cabinet is also certain to end Horsham MP Francis Maude's time on the shadow Front Benches.

The shadow foreign secretary indicated in an exclusive interview earlier this year that he was ready to return to the Back Benches to work on a review of Tory party policy.