The 2003 Conservative leadership election was caused by the enforced resignation of incumbent leader Iain Duncan Smith after the loss of a confidence vote among his parliamentary party. The causes of Duncan Smith's fall are often cited as his lack of charisma and impact with the public, the uninspired direction of the party under his leadership, and his previous failure to achieve more than a third of support among members of parliament (MPs) in the 2001 leadership Contest. In the event, the party coalesced around Michael Howard as replacement leader and there was not a contest to replace Duncan Smith.