Howard crowned as new Tory leader

Michael Howard was named Conservative Party leader after no challenger came forward to fight him for the party's top job.

The chairman of the Conservatives' backbench 1922 Committee Sir Michael Spicer announced that Mr Howard was the only candidate to be nominated by the deadline of noon and becomes leader without an election.

The new leader was addressing his MPs in a meeting behind closed doors in the House of Commons, before publicly setting out his plans for the party in an acceptance speech in south London.

Mr Howard's "coronation" as leader comes a week after the dramatic ousting of Iain Duncan Smith by MPs in a vote of confidence.

It means that the first Tory leader ever to be selected by the whole party membership has been removed by fewer than 100 MPs and replaced by a man who has not had to face a vote by either MPs or rank-and-file members.

Tories were today hoping that the choice of Mr Howard to succeed Mr Duncan Smith will put an end to the months of infighting which have damaged them in the polls.

His selection will be put to the membership for ratification, but there will not be the long drawn-out and bloody leadership battle which many had predicted.

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