Editing 1922 Committee (section)

==History==
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 [[Lloyd George ministry|coalition government]] of [[David Lloyd George]], and which triggered the [[1922 United Kingdom general election|1922 general election]]. The committee was formed following the election, in April 1923.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01366/SN01366.pdf |title=Leadership elections: Conservative Party |department=Briefing Paper Number 01366 |last=Johnston |first=Neil |date=24 May 2019 |publisher=[[House of Commons Library]] |access-date=24 May 2019 |page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Harris|first= Robin|author-link = Robin Harris (author)|date= 2013|title= The Conservatives – A History|publisher= Corgi|isbn= 978-0-55217033-8|page=265}}</ref> 

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 a [[ginger group]] of active backbenchers.<ref>{{cite book |first=John |last=Ramsden |year=1998 |title=An Appetite for Power: A History of the Conservative Party since 1830 |isbn=0-00-255686-3 |page=287|publisher=HarperCollins }}</ref> After the [[1923 United Kingdom general election|1923]] and [[1924 United Kingdom general election|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.<ref>"1922 Committee", "Political Notes", ''The Times'', 22 December 1926, p. 12.</ref>

In 1990, the committee participated in the ousting of [[Margaret Thatcher]]. The term [[Alan Watkins#Political language|"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.<ref name="Churchill-to-Major">{{cite book | last1=Borthwick | first1=R. L.|last2=Burch|first2=Martin|last3=Giddings|first3=Philip | title=Churchill to Major: the British prime ministership since 1945 |chapter=Prime Ministers and their Parties |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLgYDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT154  | publisher=Routledge | year=2015 | isbn=978-1-315-48151-7 | oclc=959427862 | pages=154–55}}</ref><ref name="Brogan et al">{{cite news |last1=Brogan |first1=Benedict |last2=Sylvester |first2=Rachel |last3=Jones |first3=George |title=Duncan Smith loses backing of the 'men in grey suits' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1444380/Duncan-Smith-loses-backing-of-the-men-in-grey-suits.html |work=The Daily Telegraph|date=17 October 2003 |access-date=24 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Brant">{{cite news |last=Brant |first=Robin |title=1922 committee and Tory MPs' contact details |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31859094 |work=BBC News Online |date=12 March 2015 |access-date=24 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Rawnsley">{{cite news |last=Rawnsley |first=Andrew |title=Dead man talking |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/oct/12/conservatives.conservatives2003 |work=The Observer |date=12 October 2003 |access-date=24 May 2019}}</ref>

On 19 May 2010, shortly after the Conservatives had formed a [[Cameron–Clegg coalition|coalition government]] with the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] suggested altering the committee to involve frontbench [[Minister (government)|ministers]] in the recommendation forming process, angering some [[backbench]] MPs.<ref name="Cameron">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8693078.stm|title=Cameron angers MPs with bid to change 1922 Committee|date=19 May 2010|work=BBC News |access-date=19 May 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Vote">{{cite news|title=1922 Committee: David Cameron wins vote on rule change|date=20 May 2010|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8693078.stm|access-date=20 May 2010|work=BBC News}}</ref>

However, under [[Graham 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,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8706572.stm Brady elected as Tories' 1922 Committee chairman] BBC News 26 May 2010</ref> similarly to the [[Parliamentary Labour Party]].

On 7 March 2023, Brady announced that he would not seek re-election at the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Graham Brady to stand down as Altrincham & Sale West MP at next election |url=https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-03-07/sir-graham-brady-to-stand-down-as-mp-at-the-next-election |access-date=10 July 2024 |publisher=ITV |date=7 March 2023}}</ref> The Committee was left with two remaining members after the general election, who were the only two [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] MPs to stand. They were [[Bob Blackman]], the MP for [[Harrow East]], who increased his majority in the election despite a national [[2024 United Kingdom general election|Labour landslide]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gibbons |first=Amy |date=2024-07-08 |title=1922 Committee chairman to be chosen as Tories prepare for leadership race |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/07/08/chairman-1922-committee-leadership-race-conservative-party/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> and Sir [[Geoffrey Clifton-Brown]], the MP for the newly formed constituency of [[North Cotswolds]], who has been an MP since 1992. <ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-05 |title=MP considers standing for North Cotswolds in boundary shake-up |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-63858410 |access-date=2024-07-09 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Blackman won the contest by a 61 votes to 37 with 98 votes cast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conservatives choose new 1922 Committee chair in key step towards next leadership battle |url=https://news.sky.com/story/conservatives-choose-new-1922-committee-chair-in-key-step-towards-next-leadership-battle-13175638 |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref>