There are currently more than 1,000 would-be Tory MPs on the parliamentary candidates’ list, a figure far exceeding the 140 seats needed for the Conservatives to win the next general election. The aim is to whittle that number down to around 500, but, also, to exercise some much needed quality control over the calibre of candidate.

The net result would be that while associations still have the final say, ultimately their choice of candidate will be edited by the selection committee — who will approve only those deemed to have a good chance of winning a seat.

This measure alone will meet with resistance, as the Conservative grassroots traditionally resent pressure from Central Office. But in some ways, the party members have only themselves to blame. It was they who, in 2001, chose Iain Duncan Smith as their leader over Kenneth Clarke. The outcome heralded an unhappy period in their history that most Conservatives would prefer to forget.

The precise mechanics are as yet unknown, but the aim is clear: never again must the Conservatives allow themselves to be in a situation where someone who does not enjoy the support of the parliamentary party becomes the leader.

If he succeeds, these reforms will be an important legacy of Michael Howard’s leadership. Whether he triumphs in his other intention — to groom a generation of younger, socially liberal Conservatives for power — still hangs in the balance.

If approved by the 1922 Committee, these constitutional reforms will be ratified (or not) by members in September. Mr Howard intends to remain in situ until after the party conferences in October, and this leadership contest is expected in November. Currently, the main contenders are David Davis, Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Liam Fox. There are others who flatter themselves as potential candidates, but for now their enthusiasm does not extend beyond their immediate circle of friends. As for the two, much talked-about “young guns” of the party, George Osborne, the 33-year-old Shadow Chancellor, has put an end to speculation by declaring that he will definitely not stand; David Cameron, the Shadow Education Secretary, has yet to divulge his intentions even to his closest allies. He is not, however, ruling himself out.

One thing is certain. Assuming that these reforms are introduced (and they must be), it would be negligent if the party then chose a timeserver or a self-regarding grandee as its next leader. The successor must be able to articulate the need for tax cuts, and yet to appear intolerant on issues such as immigration.

The word “liberal” is an awkward one, and certainly abused by the Liberal Democrats, but the Conservative Party leader must surely be a convincing supporter of economic and personal freedoms. Six months is an eternity in politics. It should not take that long for David Cameron to realise that he must stand as a candidate in the leadership contest.