BRITAIN: Mr Michael Howard emerged the strong favourite to win the Conservative leadership last night after Tory MPs sacked Mr Iain Duncan Smith.
Mr Duncan Smith lost yesterday's confidence vote by the narrower-than-expected margin of 90 to 75 and immediately confirmed that he would formally stand-down, as required by the party's rules, as soon as his successor was elected.
Soon after Westminster was awash with excited speculation that the previously fractious and divided Tory Party might actually unite in favour of the early "coronation" of Mr Howard as his successor.
A succession of potential candidates stepped-down in favour of the heavy-hitting Mr Howard within hours of Mr Duncan Smith's demise, led by Mr David Davis, thought likely to be the most popular choice of the party's grassroot members - though not his fellow MPs - in the event of a protracted contest.
"For the sake of the country and the Conservative Party I have decided to stand aside from this contest in favour of Michael Howard who I believe will be well placed to unify the party and win the next election," he declared.
Two other possible contenders, Mr Oliver Letwin and Dr Liam Fox, then joined with Mr Stephen Dorrell - a leading figure on the left of the party, and previously a supporter of Mr Kenneth Clarke - to endorse Mr Howard as "a political heavyweight" capable of landing political blows on Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair.
Their intervention in turn fuelled rumours that Mr Michael Ancram and Mr Tim Yeo were also reconsidering their positions and preparing to vacate the leadership field.
In a tribute to Mr Duncan Smith, Dr Fox said that he and his wife Betsy - who appeared with him before the cameras following his defeat - had conducted themselves with the utmost difficulty in the most difficult circumstances. "What Iain has left us following his short period as leader is a legacy of the beginnings of an intellectual renaissance for the Conservative Party which will be a necessary prerequisite to our political recovery." Noting that he, Mr Dorrell and Mr Letwin represented different strands of the Tory Party, Dr Fox said that legacy was "a set of policies which represents a consensus across the party." It was "self-evident" he said that Mr Howard was "a man with enormous experience, a political heavyweight" and that they did not "need to wonder whether he will be able to carry out his duties as leader effectively." Certainly they knew, he went on, "that he can land a few blows on Tony Blair because he has done so in more than one office of state in the past." Mr Dorrell said he had voted for Mr Duncan Smith and regretted the outcome of the confidence vote. But he added: "We need urgently to find a new leader, a figure of authority, of experience, a figure of competence, proven competence in senior ministerial office and I have therefore frankly no hesitation in expressing the hope that Michael Howard will declare his candidacy and will then lead a united party, being as he is, I believe, the best candidate the party can now offer for the position of prime minister following a Conservative victory at the next general election."
Mr Howard was not expected to publicly confirm his decision to seek the leadership until later today. Under the rules for the leadership contest announced last night nominations will close next Thursday, November 6th, with the first ballot scheduled for the following Tuesday, November 11th.
A series of ballots would then ordinarily follow until the final two candidates chosen by the parliamentary party were put to a vote of the party members across the country. If only one candidate was nominated to replace Mr Duncan Smith party bosses could still require ratification of that choice by a ballot of the members. However the conviction was growing at Westminster last night that the membership would be relieved to avoid the prospect of a contest which could see Mr Duncan Smith still in place until some time in the new year.
Mr Duncan Smith said last night: "The parliamentary party has spoken and I will stand down as leader when a successor has been chosen. I will give that new leader my absolute loyalty and support."