By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter The Prime Minister has just addressed the 1922 meeting of Tory MPs – his final opportunity to address them before the summer recess. I'm told he got a warm if not rapturous reception and, in return, spoke candidly without bluster. More peers were present than for some time… Can't […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter I expect that Conor Burns and Angie Bray will follow the logic of their interventions and speeches on Lords Reform, and vote against the Second Reading of the Bill this evening – thus removing themselves from the Government front bench if they don't resign first. Other resignations are sometimes […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Is the momentum towards a referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU becoming irresistable? I ask because, this morning, nearly 100 Tory MPs have signed a letter to the Prime Minister urging him "to place on the Statute Book before the next General Election a commitment to hold a referendum […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Paul Goodman has already blogged some astute observations about the results of last night's 1922 elections. I also agree with The Spectator's James Forsyth that the high turnout (93.8%) means that the new '22 is very representative of the parliamentary party. Most newspapers are interpreting the result as a big […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Some quick points about this evening's '22 result: The elections were a clean sweep for the 301 Group – almost. Of the nine 301 slate candidates for the executive listed on this site yesterday evening, only one wasn't elected (Adam Holloway). It was pretty much a clean sweep. But […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter This Wednesday's 1922 elections will be a multi-dimensional contest: left v right, younger MPs v older ones, critics v loyalists, Golden Dawn v Pink Sunset (plus some independents, just to complete the confusion). A slate organised by the 301 group, as Tim has previously reported, will run against a […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter There have been slates and factions for '22 Committee elections for time out of mind – probably since it first came into existence. As a young Parliamentary researcher, I watched Sir William Van Straubenzee and Michael Mates prepare the left-of-party-centre ticket for the contest. And as a middle-aged Conservative […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter I'm in a bit of a rush tonight so forgive the brevity but two notable meetings tonight. Meeting one was a meeting of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPSs) where it was suggested to that they call back the 301 Group's slate of candidates in the forthcoming 1922 elections. I recently blogged […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter The Conservative Party has had five leaders in the last 20 years, and two leadership contests outside the normal electoral cycle (the challenge to Iain Duncan Smith in 2003, and the poll John Major triggered himself in 1995). It hasn't won a general election during that period. In the […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter The Cabinet is too dominated by Liberals and Liberal Conservatives and the 1922 Committee is too Old Right. This is a gross simplification but not a million miles from the truth. The aim must be for both centres of power to become more balanced – there can or should be […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter In June 2010 I suggested that the nature of the Coalition presented an opportunity for the 1922 Committee of Backbench Conservative MPs to become the champion of Conservative policy-making and campaigning. I recommended that with David Cameron as Prime Minister, first, then leader of the Coalition, second, and then, only […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter A couple of Sundays ago I noted the irritation of certain loyalist Tory MPs against their rebellious colleagues. The Mail on Sunday reported that Claire Perry told Douglas Carswell to "f**k off and join UKIP". Well another round of blue-on-blue attacks have broken out today. The Spectator's James Forsyth blogs […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Michael Fallon's long media weekend began last Saturday afternoon when he got early notice of the Sunday Times's Peter Cruddas expose, and it ended last Monday evening with a Jeremy Paxman interview on Newsnight. Between the two, Fallon was grilled by Andrew Neil on the Sunday Politics, Dermot Murnaghan […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter The Times (£) today treats the forthcoming elections for the 1922 Committee as a battle between left and right. However, Kris Hopkins is quoted in the story as saying that “This is not about right and left, it’s about the stagnation of the ’22. It’s stifling debate.” So who […]