Graham Brady Elected Chairman Of 1922

The 1922 Committee has been in the news a lot this week, particularly amongst the conservative press, after Cameron’s attempted putsch and subsequent retreat on the matter was followed by outrage from the party.

The problem occurred when the committee, which gives a voice to Conservative backbenchers, was forced to hold a snap vote on whether frontbenchers would be allowed to vote and attend meetings, although crucially the frontbenchers could vote on the matter. Unsurprisingly they won the ballot but the numbers who voted against the change suggested that most backbenchers voted against it. The speed of this vote indicated that Cameron wanted to give his ministers the vote before a crucial election for Committee chairman today, though after mounting fury within the party he realised that he was only helping to widen the rift within the party and backed down.

The result was that Graham Brady was elected Chairman today, who was the more right wing of the two candidates and not Cameron’s choice. This will deliver a blow to Cameron. However it is not the major upset that many people think. Brady, while not afraid to question and challenge Cameron when necessary, will not launch a war against him in which the whole Conservative Party will lose.

I would suggest that the biggest damage has already been caused by Cameron himself, in the way he has treated the party for the last four years and in particular the recent abandonment of core conservative principles in exchange for power in Westminster. The attempted coup is just the latest in a series of battles that Cameron has picked with his own backbench MPs.

If this government does split then it will not be as a result of the coalition falling apart. Indeed the Liberal Democrat and Conservative ministers, after years of squabbling and fighting, have suddenly realised that they’re actually remarkably similar and the speed in which they have joined together is both remarkable and frightening. It will be the split within his own party that Cameron needs to be watchful of. But his bully-boy tactics of trying to silence all discontent within the party (perhaps he is trying to emulate Blair again) will be the thing that could break apart the coalition.