Romney scores landslide win in Florida

With most of the ballot papers counted, Mr Romney won 46 per cent of the vote to closest rival Newt Gingrich's 32 per cent, in what was the largest of the four states to hold Republican presidential contests so far this year.

Mr Romney, the wealthy former Massachusetts governor and private equity firm executive, bounced back impressively from his decisive loss to Mr Gingrich in the 21 January South Carolina primary.

At a rally following the victory, Mr Romney used the platform to turn his focus onto criticising President Barack Obama.

"Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses," said Mr Romney. "Mr. President, you were elected to lead, you chose to follow, and now it's time for you to get out of the way!"

Mr Gingrich put a brave face on when he took to the podium. "It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader Newt Gingrich and the Massachusetts moderate," he said, and did not publicly congratulate his rival for his victory.

Read more: Romney v Gingrich: Extremely rich and incredibly close