The result - made public at 7pm - gave Mr Duncan Smith 75 votes, to 90 votes against, thrusting the Conservative party into its fourth leadership election in eight years. The turnout was 100%. In a rapid sequence of events, Michael Howard, the shadow chancellor announced he would stand - and David Davis, thought to be his chief rival, threw his weight behind the man who must now be an almost dead-cert. Mr Howard also has the backing of shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin and shadow health secretary Liam Fox. Mr Duncan Smith, the self-proclaimed "quiet man" of British politics, will now be forced to watch from the sidelines as former frontbench colleagues compete to replace him - with probably only 18 months to go to the general election he will now never fight. Making a short statement outside Conservative central office, accompanied by his wife Betsy, Mr Duncan Smith said he would give the next Tory leader his full loyalty, but will not make public who his favoured candidate is. Flanked by the entire shadow cabinet team, Mr Duncan Smith told reporters: "The parliamentary party has spoken and I will stand down as leader when a successor has been chosen."
"I will give that leader my absolute loyalty and support."
Forty-five minutes after Mr Duncan Smith's emotional farewell, Mr Davis made a short statement outside the Commons. He claimed he had enough support "to make me think I could win", but would be "stepping aside" for Mr Howard in order to maintain party unity. That makes it less of a political contest and more of a coronation - and puts some moral pressure on another possible candidate, Michael Ancram, not to stand. The act of political regicide gives rivals until November 6 to announce their candidacies, and the first ballot will be on November 11. The closeness of vote allows him to leaves with some dignity intact. Two years ago, when he competed in his successful leadership bid, he scored 39 votes, then built to 54 in the final ballot. Tonight's vote followed a hectic final day, which saw Mr Duncan Smith speak to his parliamentary party at the 1922 committee, tackle Tony Blair at PMQs, and give a gruelling series of interviews on TV and radio this morning. Mr Duncan Smith this afternoon arrived at his make-or-break 1922 committee hearing claiming to be confident and relishing a "gladiatorial" conflict ahead of tonight's confidence vote in his leadership. The Conservative leader then attempted to cajole his 164 fellow Tory MPs to back him before voting opened at 3.30pm. Arriving at the meeting, Mr Duncan Smith told reporters: "Confident? I have never been anything else.