Tory MPs prepare to do battle – with themselves

Running a slate of candidates in the elections for the Tory backbench 1922 Committee is not something new. They used to run under quaint historical names, like the rather wet “Lollards” group. What’s new and inflammatory for some about the 301 Group running candidates in this week’s elections (they’re named after the number needed for a Tory majority) is that the 301 Group is seen as having senior Cabinet ministers’ fingperints (particularly George Osborne’s) all over it. 

Does any of this matter? To doubters, I recommend sitting around Parliament for a couple of hours this week and seeing how many Tory MPs come up to you fizzing about the subject. I’ve had a table-thumping briefing from one, had my ear bent by several others, and the language gets fruitier and fruitier. Have a read of this manifesto by critic of the 301 Group, MP Stewart Jackson.

Here is what another Tory backbencher had to say to me today: “If David Cameron tries to take the ’22 under his control the dissent will go elsewhere and could very well end up in envelopes.” Translated, that means individual MPs writing to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee demanding a leadership contest. Sounds far-fetched? Well bear in mind that a few of them were talking about doing just that in December 2011 just before David Cameron wielded the veto in Brussels.  

 The result of the Tory MPs’ vote should be a good indication of whether the leadership can tame a pretty restless Tory Parliamentary Party or whether their tactics have back-fired. We should get it by around 6pm on Wednesday.