Michael Howard bowed out as leader of Britain's main opposition Conservatives yesterday, warning his would-be successors there was a hard road ahead if the party was to return to government. In what he vowed would be his final party conference speech, Howard told delegates in Blackpool, northwest England, to "go for it" in their attempt to turf Prime Minister Tony Blair's New Labour Party out of office. Former home secretary (interior minister) Howard will hand in his resignation on Friday, firing the starting gun for the contest proper to replace him. But the five rivals for his job have already spent the conference slugging it out for support among colleagues, with the favourite, former army tough guy David Davis, seemingly losing ground. Howard was elected unopposed as the Conservatives' leader in 2003. He was thought to be the only person with the authority to unite them after bitter infighting, which eventually ousted the floundering Iain Duncan Smith from the job. Davis, veteran heavyweight Kenneth Clarke, young moderniser David Cameron, right-winger Liam Fox and party grandee Malcolm Rifkind pitched their leadership bids during the four-day seaside conference.