06/12/2005

Cameron elected new party leader

David Cameron has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party.

Mr Cameron will succeed Michael Howard to become the party’s fifth leader in eight years.

The Shadow Education Secretary defeated his rival, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, by 134,446 votes to 64,398, in a postal ballot of party members across the UK.

Around 78% of the Tory party membership voted in the contest.

Sir Michael Spicer, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, announced the new party leader during a special ceremony at the Royal Academy of Arts in Central London.

Mr Cameron’s first task as party leader will be to face Tony Blair at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons tomorrow.

He will also choose his shadow cabinet. There has been newspaper speculation that Mr Davis may be demoted from his Shadow Home Secretary post, as well as speculation that former party leader William Hague may be offered a shadow cabinet post.

(KMcA/GB)




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