1922 Committee

1922 Committee

Formation	1923; 96 years ago (1923)
Location	Palace of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
Chair	Graham Brady

The 1922 Committee, formally known as the Conservative Private Members' Committee,^[1] is the parliamentary group of the Conservative Party in the UK House of Commons. The committee, consisting of all Conservative backbencher MPs, meets weekly while parliament is in session and provides a way for backbenchers to co-ordinate and discuss their views independently of frontbenchers. Its executive membership and officers are by consensus limited to backbench MPs, although since 2010 frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. The committee can also play an important role in choosing the party leader. The group was formed in 1923^[2] but became important after 1940. It is generally closely related to the leadership and under the control of party whips.

Contents

• 
  1 Committee constitutional matters
  


• 
  2 Origins
  


• 
  3 2010 changes
  


• 
  4 Current executive committee
  


• 
  5 Former chairmen
  
  
  
  • 
    5.1 Secretaries
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  6 See also
  


• 
  7 References
  


• 
  8 Further reading
  


• 
  9 External links
  

Committee constitutional matters

The 1922 Committee has an 18-member executive committee, the chairman of which oversees the election of party leaders, or any Conservative party-led vote of no confidence in a current leader. Such a vote can be triggered by 15 percent of Conservative MPs writing a letter to the chairman asking for such a vote. This process was used most recently on 12 December 2018, against Theresa May, who won the vote. The last time a leader lost such a vote was on 29 October 2003, when Iain Duncan Smith was defeated by 90 to 75.^[3]

Origins

The name does not, as is sometimes wrongly supposed, stem from the 19 October 1922 Carlton Club meeting, in which Conservative MPs successfully demanded that the party withdraw from the coalition government of David Lloyd George, and which triggered the 1922 general election. The committee was formed after the election, in 1923.^[4][5]

The MPs who founded the Committee were not the same as those who had taken the decision to end the 1916–22 Coalition government. It began as a small dining group of new members elected in 1922. The Committee soon developed into a ginger group of active backbenchers.^[6] After the 1923 and 1924 elections, the membership expanded as more new Conservative MPs were elected, and in 1926 all backbench MPs were invited to become members. It became known as the Conservative Private Members' Committee. Consequently, it became a platform for the majority rather than a focus for discontent.^[7]

The term "men in suits" or "men in grey suits", meaning a delegation of Conservative MPs who tell a party leader that it is time for them to step down without forcing an open challenge, is often used in reference to members of the 1922 Committee.^[8][9] It became popular after the resignation of Margaret Thatcher.^[10][11]

2010 changes

On 19 May 2010, shortly after the Conservatives had formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, Prime Minister David Cameron suggested altering the Committee to involve frontbench ministers in the recommendation forming process, angering some backbench MPs.^[12] On 20 May 2010, Committee members voted to approve the change, with 168 votes in favour and 118 against. Many backbench party members criticised the move and voted against it, while ministers had argued such a change would be necessary to continue operating coherently as a party during its membership of a coalition government.^[13]

However, under its new chairman Graham Brady, it was clarified shortly after that vote that although frontbenchers are now able to attend meetings of the Committee, only backbenchers would be able to vote for its officers and executive committee,^[14] similarly to the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Current executive committee

As of 11 October 2017, the executive committee comprised:^[15][16]

• Chairman
  
  • Graham Brady
  
  


• Vice chairmen
  
  
  
  • Cheryl Gillan
  
  
  • Charles Walker
  
  
  
  


• Joint executive secretaries
  
  
  
  • Bob Blackman
  
  
  • Nigel Evans
  
  
  
  


• Treasurer
  
  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
  
  


• Executive members:
  
  
  
  • Kemi Badenoch
  
  
  • Bernard Jenkin
  
  
  • John Lamont
  
  
  • Pauline Latham
  
  
  • Jeremy Lefroy
  
  
  • Sheryll Murray
  
  
  • Mark Pawsey
  
  
  • Antoinette Sandbach
  
  
  • Alec Shelbrooke
  
  
  • John Stevenson
  
  
  • Bill Wiggin
  
  
  • William Wragg
  
  
  
  

Former chairmen

• 
  Gervais Rentoul (1923–1932)


• 
  William Morrison (1932–1935)


• 
  Hugh O'Neill (1935–1939)


• 
  Patrick Spens (1939–1940)


• 
  Alexander Erskine-Hill (1940–1944)


• 
  John McEwen (1944–1945)


• 
  Arnold Gridley (1946–1951)


• 
  Derek Walker-Smith (1951–1955)


• 
  John Morrison (1955–1964)


• 
  William Anstruther-Gray (1964–1966)


• 
  Arthur Vere Harvey (1966–1970)


• 
  Harry Legge-Bourke (1970–1972)


• 
  Edward du Cann (1972–1984)


• 
  Cranley Onslow (1984–1992)


• 
  Marcus Fox (1992–1997)


• 
  Archie Hamilton (1997–2001)


• 
  Michael Spicer (2001–2010)

Secretaries

• 
  Victor Goodhew (1979–1983)


• 
  Jill Knight (1983–1987)

See also

• Parliamentary Labour Party

References

1. 
   ^ "What is the 1922 Committee, who are the members of the Conservative group and why are they so important to Theresa May?". Thesun.co.uk. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ "The 1922 Committee". Parliament.uk. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
   


3. 
   ^ "Tory leader ousted". BBC. 29 October 2003. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
   


4. 
   ^ "Leadership Elections: Conservative Party" (PDF). Web.archive.org. December 2005. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
   


5. 
   ^ Harris 2013, p.265
   


6. 
   ^ John Ramsden (1998) An Appetite for Power – A History of the Conservative Party since 1830
   ISBN 0 00 255686 3 p287
   


7. 
   ^ "1922 Committee","Political Notes", The Times, 22 December 1926, p. 12.
   


8. 
   ^ R.L. Borthwick; Martin Burch; Philip Giddings (16 September 2016). Churchill to Major: The British Prime Ministership since 1945: The British Prime Ministership since 1945. Routledge. pp. 154–5. ISBN 978-1-315-48151-7.
   


9. 
   ^ Brogan, Benedict; Sylvester, Rachel; Jones, George. "Duncan Smith loses backing of the 'men in grey suits'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
   


10. 
    ^ Brant, Robin. "1922 committee and Tory MPs' contact details". BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
    


11. 
    ^ Rawnsley, Andrew. "Dead man talking". The Observer. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
    


12. 
    ^ "Cameron angers MPs with bid to change 1922 Committee". BBC News. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
    


13. 
    ^ "1922 Committee: David Cameron wins vote on rule change". BBC News. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
    


14. 
    ^ Brady elected as Tories' 1922 Committee chairman BBC News 26 May 2010
    


15. 
    ^ Eaton, George (11 October 2017). "The 1922 Committee: how the Tories' men in grey suits wield power". New Statesman.
    


16. 
    ^ Wallace, Mark (18 July 2017). "1922 Executive Committee election results announced. Two new MPs join it – Badenoch and Lamont". Conservative Home.
    

Further reading

• 
  Ball, Stuart (1990). "The 1922 Committee: the formative years 1922–45". Parliamentary History. 9 (1): 129–157. doi:10.1111/j.1750-0206.1990.tb00556.x.
  


• 
  Goodhart, Philip; Branston, Ursula (1973). The 1922: The Story of the Conservative Backbenchers' Parliamentary Committee. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-33314386-8.
  


• 
  Harris, Robin (2013). The Conservatives - A History. Corgi. ISBN 978-0-55217033-8.
  

External links

• 
  "BBC NEWS - UK - UK Politics - 1922 Committee". News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  

v t e Chairmen of the 1922 Committee
Rentoul Morrison O'Neill Erskine-Hill McEwen Gridley Walker-Smith Morrison Anstruther-Gray Harvey Legge-Bourke du Cann Onslow Fox Hamilton Spicer Brady

v t e Conservative Party
History Organisations Conservative Party Archive Topics History of the Conservative Party History of conservatism in Great Britain Tories Tamworth Manifesto Carlton Club Primrose League Tariff Reform League Coalition Coupon Carlton Club meeting General election manifestos Fourth Party Liberal Unionist Party Irish Conservative Party Irish Unionist Party Scottish Unionist Party National Liberal Party
Leadership House of Lords (1828–1922) Wellington Derby Malmesbury Cairns Richmond Beaconsfield Salisbury Devonshire Lansdowne Curzon House of Commons (1834–1922) Peel Bentinck Granby vacant (1848–1849) Disraeli / Granby / Herries Disraeli Northcote Hicks Beach R. Churchill Smith Balfour Law A. Chamberlain Leaders (1922–) Law Baldwin N. Chamberlain W. Churchill Eden Macmillan Douglas-Home Heath Thatcher Major Hague Duncan Smith Howard Cameron May Chairmen (1911–) Steel-Maitland Younger Jackson Davidson N. Chamberlain Baird Hacking Dugdale Assheton Woolton Poole Hailsham Butler Macleod / Poole Blakenham du Cann Barber Thomas Carrington Whitelaw Thorneycroft Parkinson Gummer Tebbit Brooke Baker Patten Fowler Hanley Mawhinney Parkinson Ancram Davis May Fox / Saatchi Maude Spelman Pickles Warsi / Feldman Shapps / Feldman Feldman McLoughlin Lewis See also Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party
Leadership elections 1965 Heath 1975 Thatcher 1989 Thatcher re-elected 1990 Major 1995 Major re-elected 1997 Hague 2001 Duncan Smith 2003 Howard 2005 Cameron 2016 May Next
Party structure Professional Conservative Party Board Conservative Campaign Headquarters Voluntary National Conservative Convention Parliamentary 1922 Committee Conservative Chief Whip's Office Conference Conservative Party Conference Subnational Northern Ireland Conservatives Scottish Conservatives Welsh Conservative Party Gibraltar Conservatives Directly elected city mayoral authorities London Conservatives Local Conservative Associations
Associated organisations List Organisations associated with the Conservative Party Sectional groups Conservative Women's Organisation Young Conservatives Conservatives Abroad LGBT+ Conservatives Association of Conservative Clubs Factional groups Activate The Atlantic Bridge Conservative Animal Welfare Group Conservative Christian Fellowship Conservative Countryside Forum Conservative Disability Group Conservative Europe Group Conservative Friends of America Conservative Friends of Gibraltar Conservative Friends of Israel Conservative Friends of Turkey Conservative History Group Conservative Humanist Association Conservative Mainstream Conservative Health Conservative Muslim Forum Conservative Education Society Conservative National Property Advisory Committee Conservative Rural Affairs Group Conservative Technology Forum Conservative Trade Unionists Conservative Transport Group Conservative Way Forward Conservative Women National Committee Conservative Workers & Trade Unionists Conservatives 4 Cities Conservatives Against Fox Hunting Conservatives at Work Conservatives for International Travel Cornerstone Group Countryside Alliance European Foundation Fresh Start Macleod Group Margaret Thatcher Foundation Monday Club 92 Group No Campaign No Turning Back Selsdon Group Tory Green Initiative Tory Reform Group Renewing One Nation Young Britons' Foundation Conservative Co-operative Movement
Think tanks Bow Group Bright Blue Bruges Group Centre for Policy Studies Centre for Social Justice European Foundation Policy Exchange Society of Conservative Lawyers
Party alliances Current List of current alliances Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (European Conservatives and Reformists) International Democrat Union (European Democrat Union) European Conservatives Group Conservative–DUP agreement Former List of former alliances European People's Party (European People's Party group) European Conservative Group European Democrats Movement for European Reform Alliance for an Open Europe Ulster Conservatives and Unionists (Ulster Unionist Party)
Conservatism portal

This page is only for reference, If you need detailed information, please check here