The departure of Colin Powell, regarded as the Bush administration's voice of moderation and restraint, should not be interpreted as signalling a sharp lurch to the right during the president's second term, officials and even the secretary of state's neo-conservative critics said yesterday.

Although neo-conservatives welcomed the prospect - as yet unconfirmed - of Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, moving to the State Department, they said the loss of Mr Powell should not be over-interpreted in Europe as the end of the voice of reason.