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CJ Cregg
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Joined: 05 Oct 2002
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 Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:45 am Cameron elected Tory Leader |
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| Quote: | Cameron chosen as new Tory leader
David Cameron has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party by a two-to-one margin over David Davis.
The 39-year-old beat rival Mr Davis by 134,446 votes to 64,398 in a postal ballot of Tory members across the UK.
The Old Etonian, an MP for only four years, said: "I want us to give our country a modern compassionate Conservatism."
Mr Cameron said the Tories would now change how they looked and had to stop "grumbling" about modern Britain.
He was "fed up with the Punch and Judy politics of Westminster", and vowed to support government policies with which he agreed.
He was hailed by his defeated rival as the next Tory prime minister. Mr Davis said the contest was a preamble to a Conservative election victory.
The result ends a seven-month wait. Outgoing leader Michael Howard said he was quitting after May's election.
The election result was declared at the Royal Academy in London by Sir Michael Spicer, chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers.
Party members' postal ballots were sent out a month ago ahead of a series of televised debates and private hustings. The votes were counted on Tuesday by the Electoral Reform Society.
Mr Davis, 56, began as the contest as the bookmakers' favourite in the contest but was overtaken in the final vote of MPs.
A lacklustre speech at the Conservative annual conference in Blackpool dealt what turned out to be a fatal blow to his challenge.
Front bench choices
Attention is now shifting to who Mr Cameron chooses for his shadow cabinet, with supporters of Mr Davis demanding a "major role" for their contender.
Weekend newspaper reports suggested Mr Cameron was preparing to demote Mr Davis from his current job as shadow home secretary if he won.
William Hague is also expected to be asked to take a shadow cabinet job.
Mr Cameron's campaign manager, shadow chancellor George Osborne, said there were no plans to "humiliate" Mr Davis.
Several of Mr Cameron's close allies are under-40 but Mr Osborne said the new shadow cabinet would combine youth and experience.
"We do have some young talent in Conservative Party and that's a good thing," he told BBC Breakfast.
Mr Osborne warned it would be a "long hard slog" to beat Labour and those expecting an immediate change in the political landscape would be disappointed.
Brown battle
The new leader will face Tony Blair at prime minister's questions on Wednesday.
But most commentators expect Mr Cameron to fight the next election against Gordon Brown. Mr Blair has already said he will step down before the election.
Mr Brown dismissed claims that a young opponent would make him look old.
"I think that's a bit unfair, as the father of a two-year-old I feel pretty young," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Mr Brown said it was policies which counted at the polls.
"I don't see much evidence other than a rebranding of existing policies at the moment," he argued.
Ex-leaders' favourite
Mr Cameron, the shadow education secretary, topped a poll of Tory MPs on 20 October.
He took 90 of a possible 198 votes, while Mr Davis, the shadow home secretary, was second on 57.
Rival Liam Fox was eliminated at that stage of the leadership election after gaining 51 votes.
The other contender, Ken Clarke, had been knocked out in an earlier round of voting, which was won by Mr Davis.
The two previous Conservative leaders, Mr Hague and Iain Duncan Smith, have both backed Mr Cameron for the job.
Mr Howard, who has been leader since 2003, refused to reveal his preference, although Mr Cameron, who worked for him as a special adviser, was believed to be his favoured choice.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/4502652.stm
Published: 2005/12/06 15:21:05 GMT
� BBC MMV |
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