William Hague marked his final curtain call at the Conservative conference with an admission that the party could not have won June's election.

The appearance of the former Conservative Party leader on the platform at Blackpool on Tuesday was so swift that he caught the party faithful out.

A gaggle of photographers gathered at the edge of the conference stage and the hall began to buzz. Many delegates were in the bars or making their way back from fringe meetings ready to hear Michael Howard.

The procession of local councillors, parliamentary candidates and business people who lambasted the government for high taxes and red tape had left seats that were quickly filled.

The audience that was there leapt to their feet when the conference chairman made her announcement.

At ease and affable, the man who began his political career on the conference stage at the age of 16 delivered his farewell speech with his familiar humour.

"It struck me that once I gave a speech in this hall when I said 'half of you won't be here in 30 years time but I will be'. Actually I was wrong because 24 years on you're still here and I've been and gone," he said.

He thanked his party's activists for "going to all those door steps, for manning those phone lines, posting all those letters" before making his admission that his crushing defeat had been inevitable.

"Thank you for having the courage to do so when the odds were always against us," he said.

The physical similarities between the new and old leaders were exaggerated under the lights and Hague was quick to lavish praise on his successor. He expressed his "huge confidence and pride" in Duncan Smith.

"He has clear qualities, integrity. No-one will accuse him of saying the opposite of what he thinks for the convenience of the moment," he said.

"I always found when I was the party leader and he was the shadow defence secretary that he always had a cool and clear head," Hague said.

Hague bowed with a prediction of the victory that had eluded him.

"I am sorry that we fought and lost in the election this year but we will fight again and we will win again and I and you will do our utmost to bring that about," he said.