WEST Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer was last night re-elected as chairman of the influential 1922 Committee.

Sir Michael was unopposed for the position at the top of the powerful association of Conservative backbench MPs.

The job, which Sir Michael has held since 2001, has become especially important after Tory leader Michael Howard's post-General Election resignation announcement.

The 1922 Committee's most important task is to co-ordinate leadership elections and this will be the third Sir Michael will have overseen.

He will also be in charge of an overhaul of the party's leadership election, which could influence the eventual outcome.

Sir Michael said: "It is a great honour to have been once again re-elected, in the new Parliament, unopposed by my colleagues to the chairmanship of the Parliamentary Party.

"With its very impressive new and enlarged intake, the morale of the Conservative Parliamentary Party is very high.

"The months ahead will be very busy ones for me and my office. We will be assisted by the fact that we have had the experience of managing two previous leadership elections."

Sir Michael has previously co-ordinated the election which resulted in the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith in 2001 and Michael Howard in 2003.