Steve Norris is today expected to be chosen as one of the Tories' two nominees for the London mayoral election.

The former transport minister goes head-to-head with the four remaining participants in the race to be Conservative candidate for mayor of London.

He will join the other leading London Tories in a hustings to choose the final shortlist of two.

The other contenders are Andrew Boff, Victoria Borwick, Roger Evans and former minister Richard Ottaway.

The shortlist will be reduced to two in a vote of those party members present tonight.

All party members in London will then be sent a ballot paper and election material about the final two candidates.

The first round of the contest was hit by controversy after party chiefs decided to reject a nomination bid from former model Nikki Page.

Page, who had been tipped as a possible front-runner, is now appealing against the party's decision.

Norris hopes that he can secure the London mayoralty by running a hardline campaign against Ken Livingstone.

Over recent months Norris has spoken out strongly against the mayor's congestion charge scheme and has attacked Livingstone over his failure to tackle key problems in the capital.