 Determined that the party should abandon the " customary processes of consultation " , which had caused such rancour when he was appointed in 1963 , Douglas @-@ Home set up an orderly process of secret balloting by Conservative MPs for the election of his immediate and future successors as party leader . In the interests of impartiality the ballot was organised by the 1922 Committee , the backbench Conservative MPs . Douglas @-@ Home announced his resignation as Conservative leader on 22 July 1965 . Three candidates stood for the vacancy : Heath , Maudling and Powell . Heath won with 150 votes ( one of them cast by Douglas @-@ Home ) to 133 for Maudling and 15 for Powell . 
