Iain Duncan Smith has warned Tory "malcontents" that they face a dressing down when they return to Westminster next week.

Following a party conference dubbed "the worst" in living memory, the Tory leader said he was ready for a fight.

"I am not going to run away from the idea that there were some malcontents, I think a very small number, who set out to say something different," he told the BBC.

"But my chief whip, my wonderful chief whip, will be speaking to a few people about that."

As MPs return to the Commons next week a group of Tory MPs, said to be led by John Maples, will meet with chief whip David Maclean.

He will warn the "plotters" that they must show their hand once and for all.

"My message is simply this: on Monday go to Michael Spicer with your 25 letters and we can lance the boil that way," he said last night.

"But since there are only half a dozen of you and you have run out of steam, decide whether you want to be a hard-working Conservative MP rowing in the boat or, if not, ship out."

Duncan Smith insisted the leadership issue was now resolved - saying he would set his sights on the government.

"My leadership, as far as I am concerned, is absolutely fine. I offered the party when I stood as leader a very clear agenda," said Duncan Smith.

"I said in two years' time we would have, for the first time for a very long time, an absolute alternative to the Labour government, an alternative that we can and must sell to the British people."

Duncan Smith denied talk of a split - warning that Labour was more deeply divided than his party.

"This sort of process is the normal process of political parties," he said.

"A week ago at the Labour conference you had some very significant figures - Robin Cook, Clare Short and even the chancellor in the Cabinet - essentially attacking the prime minister.

"There was a real plot at the Labour conference. There were real malcontents at the Labour conference, some very significant ones."

His comments came after Michael Portillo said the Conservative conference was the worst anyone can remember.

The former defence secretary told the BBC that the mood was "horrible, dejected, miserable, talking about the leadership all the time - it was the worst conference anyone could remember".

But the man who mounted a challenge to lead the party after the last general election said he expected Iain Duncan Smith to remain in charge.

Despite his remarks, Portillo said he expected Duncan Smith to remain in charge despite events at the conference.

Whilst he admitted there were "plotters" he said the party could not agree on a "plot".

Many MPs are set to return to their constituencies to take soundings this weekend.

It is said that the 1922 committee of Tory MPs will meet next Wednesday to determine whether there are enough MPs to trigger a leadership election.

Senior Conservatives last night rallied round their leader - insisting he had done enough to head off a challenge.