Posted on 10/29/2003 1:58:21 PM PST by aculeus
Iain Duncan Smith has narrowly failed to win the backing of enough Tory MPs to save his job in a dramatic confidence vote at Westminster.
Mr Duncan Smith, party leader for just over two years, was backed by 75 MPs but opposed by 90.
The result of the vote, which sparks the fourth Tory leadership election in eight years, was announced at 1859 GMT by the chairman of the Tory backbenchers' 1922 committee, Sir Michael Spicer.
Soon after former party chairman David Davis said he was backing Michael Howard in the leadership contest, saying he had decided to turn down requests to run himself.
Moderniser Tim Yeo has also decided against entering the contest, while shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin, shadow health secretary Liam Fox and former cabinet minister Stephen Dorrell urged Mr Howard to bid for the leadership.
But Mr Howard is keeping tight-lipped about his next move.
Mr Duncan Smith appeared outside Conservative headquarters, flanked by frontbenchers, to say he would step down as leader when his successor was chosen.
He pledged his loyalty to whoever took over the helm.
"I will not publicly choose between the candidates in the coming election," he said.
"But I am going to defend the policies that my shadow cabinet have developed.
"Although I will not be the prime minister of the first Conservative government of the 21st century - I believe I have provided its policy agenda."
Prevent
Nominations for the race to succeed Mr Duncan Smith will close on Thursday 6 November, with the first ballot of MPs held on Tuesday 11 November.
Mr Davis said his decision to "step aside" for Mr Howard was designed to prevent more infighting.
"I recently have had a lot of people come to me and suggest I run for the leadership ... enough to make me think I can win," he said.
"However, a long and protracted leadership contest would worsen these deep divisions and faction fighting and make the sort of problems we have had in recent years even worse in the run up to the next general election."
'No deals'
In an interview to be broadcast at 2300 GMT, Mr Davis told BBC Five Live's Matthew Bannister programme Mr Howard would probably declare his candidature on Thursday.
He had spoken to the shadow chancellor but no deals had been done, he said.
His move is being seen as an attempt to get the party to unite around one candidate, rather than having a leadership vote among ordinary Conservative members.
In a joint statement with Mr Letwin and Mr Dorrell, Dr Fox said Mr Howard was a "political heavyweight" who could "land a few blows on Tony Blair."
Mr Howard said: "My thoughts are with Iain Duncan Smith. He has shown fantastic courage and dignity. My thoughts are with him tonight."
Asked when he would make a decision on his leadership ambitions, he replied: "That's all I have to say."
Last ditch plea
Mr Duncan Smith's defeat came despite an impassioned appeal to backbench MPs to support him ahead of the ballot boxes opening at 1530 GMT.
One MP described the speech as "blazingly honest and very direct".
But Mr Duncan Smith failed to win the straight majority of the votes cast he needed to remain party leader.
He had urged his parliamentary colleagues to bring to a close a decade of divisions and endorse his leadership, warning there was no "white knight" to come charging to the rescue. He said the last few weeks had been "a vision of hell" for the party.
His speech to backbenchers lasted around half-an-hour, during which he received two table-thumping and foot stamping ovations.
The vote, which followed months of speculation about Mr Duncan Smith's future, came after the Tory leader challenged plotters to get in line or submit the 25 names they needed to trigger a ballot.
It emerged shortly after lunchtime on Tuesday that enough letters had been sent to Sir Michael Spicer to force the contest.
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