London - Former environment minister MP Sir Michael Spicer was last night elected the new chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 committee.
He polled 79 votes, beating former education secretary Gillian Shephard, who gained 66 votes, and the committee's vice-chairman, John Butterfill, who got 11.
Sir Michael said he could set the date for the closure of nominations for the party's leadership contest - for which he is the returning officer - as either noon today or July 5.