Iain Duncan Smith won 61% of the votes, soundly beating his rival Ken Clarke in a ballot of over 300,000 Tory members.

The result was due to be announced on 12 September, but was delayed because of the terror attacks in the United States.

Mr Duncan Smith is the third Tory leader in four years after William

Hague stepped down in the wake of the Conservatives' defeat on 7 June.

Mr Duncan Smith announced his top team soon after the result was published:

• Michael Howard: shadow chancellor
• Michael Ancram: shadow foreign secretary
• David Davis: party chairman

His choice of two beaten contenders - Mr Ancram and Mr Davis - was designed to help heal some of the deep rifts which still plague the party

'Right-wing image'

But some Tory MPs are nervous that the rebel who publicly opposed the government policy on Europe during John Major's premiership should now be leading the party.

Anthony Steen, Conservative MP for Totnes, said he doubted the Eurosceptic Mr Duncan Smith could lead the party to election victory.

"If he can rid himself of his extreme right-wing image, I think he stands a very much better chance," he told the BBC.

The new Tory chief faces the prime minister for the first time on 14 September in a House of Commons emergency debate about the attack on America.

But he pledged his support for Tony Blair in his first public speech as leader.

"My party will stand shoulder to shoulder with the prime minister and his government in supporting our friends and allies in the US during this tragic time," he said.

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