| Formation | April 1923; 102 years ago (1923-04) |
|---|---|
| Location |
|
Chairman | Bob Blackman[1] |
The1922 Committee, formally known as theConservative Private Members' Committee,[2] or sometimes simplythe 22,[3] is aparliamentary group of theConservative Party in the BritishHouse of Commons. The committee, consisting of all ConservativebackbenchMembers of Parliament (MPs), meets weekly while Parliament is in session and provides a way for backbenchers to co-ordinate and discuss their views independently offrontbenchers. Its executive membership and officers are by consensus limited to backbench MPs; however, 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[4] (by MPs who wereelected in1922), but became important after 1940. The committee, collectively, represents the views of the Conservative Party parliamentary rank and file to the party leader, who is usually also thePrime Minister orleader of the Opposition.Whips are present but their role is limited to announcing future business and reporting questions and complaints to the chiefwhip. Due to the number of members, the group traditionally meets in Committee Room 14, the largest committee room in the Houses of Parliament.[5]
The 1922 Committee has an 18-member executive committee, whose members are elected by all Conservative MPs except those who are members of the Government, i.e. the electorate comprises all "backbench" Conservative MPs. Candidates need to be nominated by two Conservative colleagues, and it is a first-past-the-post voting system, meaning the person with the most votes in each category wins.
The committee oversees the election of party leaders, or any Conservative party-led vote of confidence in a current leader. Such a vote can be triggered by 15% of Conservative MPs (currently 19 MPs out of the 121 sitting Conservative MPs as of July 2024[update]) writing a letter to the chairman of the committee asking for such a vote. This process was used most recently on 6 June 2022, againstBoris Johnson.[6] The last time a leader lost such a vote was on 29 October 2003, whenIain Duncan Smith was defeated by 90 to 75.[7] However both May and Johnson chose to resign within a year of their confidence votes.
| Date | Leader | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | Against | ||
| 29 October 2003 | Iain Duncan Smith | 75 | 90 |
| 12 December 2018 | Theresa May | 200 | 117 |
| 6 June 2022 | Boris Johnson | 211 | 148 |
The name does not, as is sometimes wrongly supposed, stem from the 19 October 1922Carlton Club meeting, in which Conservative MPs successfully demanded that the party withdraw from thecoalition government ofDavid Lloyd George, and which triggered the1922 general election. The committee was formed following the election, in April 1923.[8][9]
The MPs who founded the committee were not the same as those who had taken the decision to end the 1916–1922 coalition government. It began as a small dining group of new members elected in 1922. The committee soon developed into aginger group of active backbenchers.[10] After the1923 and1924 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.[11]
In 1990, the committee participated in the ousting ofMargaret Thatcher. The term"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.[12][13][14][15]
On 19 May 2010, shortly after the Conservatives had formed acoalition government with theLiberal Democrats, Prime MinisterDavid Cameron suggested altering the committee to involve frontbenchministers in the recommendation forming process, angering somebackbench MPs.[16] 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 acoalition government.[17]
However, underGraham Brady, who became chairman in 2010, it was clarified shortly after that vote that although frontbenchers became eligible to attend meetings of the committee, only backbenchers would be able to vote for its officers and executive committee,[18] similarly to theParliamentary Labour Party.
On 7 March 2023, Brady announced that he would not seek re-election at the2024 general election.[19] The Committee was left with two remaining members after the general election, who were the only twoConservative Party MPs to stand. They wereBob Blackman, the MP forHarrow East, who increased his majority in the election despite a nationalLabour landslide,[20] and SirGeoffrey Clifton-Brown, the MP for the newly formed constituency ofNorth Cotswolds, who has been an MP since 1992.[21] Blackman won the contest by a 61 votes to 37 with 98 votes cast.[22]
The latest election for the Chair of the 1922 Committee was held on July 9, 2024. The former chair,Graham Brady, had stood down as an MP in the 2024 general election, creating a vacancy.[23]Bob Blackman andGeoffrey Clifton-Brown stood as candidates, with Blackman winning the carrying the election with 61 out of 121 possible votes.
Media reports showed that several members were unable to vote, due to a misunderstanding of the closing time of the vote. This included senior Conservatives such asMark Francois,Jeremy Hunt andEdward Leigh. In total, only 98 out of 121 MPs turned out (81%). However, with Blackman winning an absolute majority of Conservative MPs, the remaining 23 MPs would not have affected the outcome.[23][24]
The results of the election were as follows:
| Election of chair of the 1922 committee | ||
| Bob Blackman | 61 / 121 (50%) | |
| Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 37 / 121 (31%) | |
Following the vote for the Chair, there were subsequent votes to elect the 1922 Executive board. One MP with nominations was left off the ballot paper, leading to calls to re-run the vote.[25]
 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(July 2024) |
As of 11 July 2022, the executive committee comprised:[28]