The 1922 Committee

Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower Available exclusively in parliamentary shops and online (http://www.shop.parliament. uk/) for £7.50 his is a small book about a big subject but its authors remain REVIEWS almost anonymous. That is a pity. They have much to be proud of and deserve recognition. Read the small Tprint on the inside back cover to see who they are: perhaps too many to be on the front cover but clearly writers who have great affection Reviews and respect for their subject. determination and egos this wonderful clock, The Voice of the Backbenchers: Although only a little book, Big Ben and its chiming bells and the world-famous The 1922 Committee – The the Elizabeth Tower is full to the brim of building that houses them, were created First 90 Years, 1923-2013 fascinating, yet accessible, information about by the power of their brains to translate By Philip Norton, Conservative Big Ben and its four smaller companions, thought onto paper. These great men and History Group, £7.99 about the engineering and design work their builders, engineers and bell founders that went into their making and the design produced a thing of pleasing beauty – tower, ew people get the origins of and construction of the Clock Tower itself, clock and bells – which, seen and heard the Conservative Party’s 1922 renamed the Elizabeth Tower on the Queen’s throughout the world as one time-keeping Committee right. “The Party diamond jubilee in 2012. In addition there are edifice, has stood as a symbol of democracy, really did itself a considerable pen portraits of the men (yes, all men) who hope and resistance to despotism for over service when it set up the were responsible for the project that led to the 70 years, and of our country’s ambition and Fcommittee at that famous Carlton Club building of the Tower and the installation of sense of place in the world since 1859. meeting which brought down the Lloyd the clock and the bells. Do not, though, read this book just to George Coalition in October 1922,” a former learn about the Elizabeth Tower and Big Tory Cabinet minister told me with great Although only a little Ben. Discover the history of turret clocks, the confidence recently. Writing about its 90th etymology of the words ‘clock’ and ‘hour’, anniversary in April, the normally well- book, it is full to the brim of what stood close to the site of the present informed, belligerent heavyweight Tory fascinating, yet accessible, Tower in the days of Edward the Confessor journalist Bruce Anderson asserted that “it information and Queen Anne, the development of was named after the year of the successful timekeeping and the standardisation of time; insurrection” against the Welsh Wizard. “Its I have an interest to declare: Edmund enjoy the illustrations and photographs of our association with the fall of Lloyd George Beckett Denison, Lord Grimthorpe, my ornate palace and meet the people who have was an asset,” he added, providing it with “a great-great-great-uncle, was the irascible, kept the Great Clock ticking to a degree of reputation for ruthlessness” which made it a self-important and litigious designer of the accuracy thought impossible when the clock powerful force in the years ahead. clock and Big Ben. His name is engraved on was devised. See the many other clocks in the The 1922 Committee was not created at the clock mechanism just by the chiming train public and private rooms in Parliament, the the Carlton Club meeting. It had nothing in the Clock Room. I have inherited his self- most attractive, John Hardman’s gilded brass to do with the fall of Lloyd George. It was importance but none of his intellectual and clock, now in the Prime Minister’s office. a wholly unforeseen by-product of the practical prowess. Then go up the Tower, see the clock general election that followed the Coalition’s Like all those mentioned in this book – and stand close to Big Ben at noon. collapse. The Tories won by a landslide, Barry, Pugin, Airey, Dent, Vulliamy, Ayrton Unforgettable. though they had little idea of what to do with – Grimthorpe was a Renaissance man. their victory since they had no programme Both despite and because of their vision, Edward Garnier is Conservative MP for Harborough for government. The Conservative ranks WWW.POLITICSHOME.COM 14 JUNE 2013 | THE HOUSE MAGAZINE | 49 included 110 neophyte MPs, nearly a third of and Unionist Members Committee failed November 1956, towards the end of the Suez the total. One of them, Gervais Rentoul, an dismally. Tories love their little traditions. crisis, as Eden’s premiership was moving ambitious barrister with an eye on ministerial Rentoul naturally became the first to its close, Macmillan was unexpectedly office, “conceived the idea, not, of course, an Chairman. Membership was initially given the chance to address a meeting original one, of forming a small committee confined to the newcomers who had arrived after his rival for the Tory leadership, Rab for the guidance and assistance of those in 1922. Meetings were unexciting. Details Butler. He produced a tour de force after a private members who, like myself, were in of forthcoming parliamentary business were typically lacklustre performance by Butler. the House of Commons for the first time,” as announced; pronouncements by ministers As D. R. Thorpe observes in his brilliant he subsequently explained in the first of two and Tory party officials were heard with biography Supermac, “this was the day that volumes of memoirs. unquestioning respect. The Committee ensured that Macmillan would be the next Rentoul acted swiftly. “After consulting remained a modest and unassuming body Prime Minister”, some nine years before the a few colleagues who were chafing, as I even after its enlargement in December 1925 introduction of leadership elections under the was, against the feeling of ineffectiveness to include all backbench MPs, invitations to 1922’s control. and bewilderment, an invitation was issued frontbenchers only being issued when the to all the newcomers to meet in one of the party went into opposition. committee rooms and discuss what could be The Committee came of age during the Norton does not done about it.” The result was that in April Second World War, as Philip Norton, widely neglect the many moments 1923 “an organisation was brought into being respected as both historian and constitutional of high (and low) drama in under the name of ‘The Conservative Private expert, makes clear in this admirably crisp his meticulous account of Members (1922) Committee’, a title soon to study written to mark the 90th anniversary. the 1922 Committee’s be abbreviated by the press into the ‘1922’ “We see, for the first time, the 1922 exerting evolution Committee, as it is known to this day”. A significant policy influence and the Chairman later attempt to rename it as the Conservative playing a key role as an intermediary between ministers The 1922 has intervened decisively at Margaret Thatcher admires a and members.” other moments of acute political crisis. bowl given to her in 1989 at a Churchill’s Coalition As parliamentary approval for Britain’s special lunch for past and present members of the 1922 Committee. partners addressed accession to the EEC hung in the balance, When she was first elected leader, meetings. One the committee rallied to Heath’s defence Thatcher listened attentively to the committee. As time went hundred and twenty even though at a crucial discussion on 6 May on, however, she began to show MPs came to listen 1971 the opponents and the doubters had her impatience with it – a grave mistake, according to Lord Lexden. to Ernie Bevin, outnumbered the supporters of entry. The then Minister of redoubtable Rear-Admiral Morgan-Giles Labour, in July (whose death occurred recently) swept aside 1941. What a pity the faint hearts with his celebrated call to that this Coalition arms, “pro bono publico, no bloody panico”. Government has Heath responded with characteristic not followed that lack of generosity, treating the 1922, as its precedent. There secretary later wrote, “with ill-concealed is much that Nick contempt”. When she first became leader Clegg and the 1922 Margaret Thatcher listened attentively to the could learn from committee, but as time wore on she “could, each other. according to one member of the executive, be A powerful seen to be tapping her feet with impatience”. speech to the 1922 That, as her admirers saw, was a grave can have a decisive mistake. As Alan Clark noted in his diary, effect, as Harold “she’s storing up trouble”. Macmillan was Norton does not neglect the many perhaps the first moments of high (and low) drama in to discover. In his meticulous account of the evolving 50 | THE HOUSE MAGAZINE | 14 JUNE 2013 WWW.POLITICSHOME.COM structure and work of the 1922 Committee, which draws on its records held in the Conservative Party Archive at the Bodleian Library, and on a wide range of other sources. He is impressed – and rightly so – by the leadership given to the committee by its longest-serving Chairman, Edward du Cann, and by his most recent successors, Archie Hamilton, Michael Spicer and Graham Brady. Du Cann summed up the essential requirements of a successful chairman: “a long nose to sniff out trouble, the oversized ears of a ready listener, a firm hand to deal with the problematic and a boot to apply to the recalcitrant”. Brady’s boot, formidable in size, would certainly Workers at the Black Country best be avoided. It might help deter any Food Bank prepare parcels for the vulnerable.

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