| Formation | Summer 2018 |
|---|---|
President | Edward Leigh |
Chairman | John Hayes |
Vice Chairman | Tom Hunt |
Parent organisation | Conservative Party |
The Common Sense Group is an informal group of MPs in the British Conservative Party. The Guardian described it as a hard-right group that was sympathetic to culture wars.[1]
The group was inspired by the euro-sceptic European Research Group and has published a book, Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age.[2][3]
History
The Guardian said in November 2020 that the group "launched quietly in the summer with about 40 members ... and now has 59 MPs and 7 members of the House of Lords in its ranks".[2] Its president is Edward Leigh MP.[4]
Following an interim report on the connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, including links with historic slavery, members of the group signed a letter to The Telegraph in November 2020. The letter accused the National Trust of being "coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the woke agenda".[5]
The group's manifesto, Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age, was published in May 2021.[3] John Hayes MP wrote in the Preface, "With opportunities provided by Brexit, the time for a refreshed national conversation on the defining issues of our time – nationhood, community, migration, the rule of law and public order – is now."[6][7]
Members
Members of the group include:[5][6]
Members of Parliament:
- Gareth Bacon
- Bob Blackman
- Ben Bradley
- Fiona Bruce
- Brendan Clarke-Smith
- Philip Davies
- Nick Fletcher
- Jonathan Gullis
- Sally-Ann Hart
- John Hayes
- Tom Hunt
- Danny Kruger
- Pauline Latham
- Edward Leigh
- Andrew Lewer
- Chris Loder
- Marco Longhi
- Craig Mackinlay
- Karl McCartney
- Robin Millar
- David Morris
- Joy Morrissey
- Andrew Rosindell
- Alexander Stafford
- James Sunderland
- Martin Vickers
- Giles Watling
- William Wragg[i]
Members of the House of Lords:
Others:
- Michael Nazir-Ali (former Anglican Bishop)
- David Maddox (journalist)
- David Burrowes (former MP)
Lee Anderson was formerly a member of the group, prior to his defection to Reform UK.
See also
References
- ^ Resigned the Conservative Party whip in April 2024
- ^ Walker, Peter (28 December 2023). "Heavy election defeat could lead to Tory lurch to right, analysis shows". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b Bland, Archie; Elgot, Jessica (11 November 2020). "Dissatisfied Tory MPs flock to ERG-inspired pressure groups". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ a b Steerpike (12 May 2022). "Tories unveil anti-woke manifesto". The Spectator. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Conference 2021: What's on? - Monday 4th October, Fringe Events - 8:30pm the Common Sense Group & Blue Collar Conservatives (PDF). 2021. p. 88. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Will the police break up Armistice Day ceremonies on Wednesday?". The Telegraph. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2022. Letter to the Editor signed by Lee Anderson • Gareth Bacon • Scott Benton • Bob Blackman • Ben Bradley • Brendan Clarke-Smith • Philip Davies • Nick Fletcher • Jonathan Gullis • Sally-Ann Hart • John Hayes • Tom Hunt • Edward Leigh • Andrew Lewer • Chris Loder • Marco Longhi • Craig Mackinlay • Karl McCartney • Pauline Latham • David Morris • Andrew Rosindell • James Sunderland • Martin Vickers • Giles Watling • William Wragg • Baroness Eaton • Lord Lilley
- ^ a b Hayes, John (May 2021). Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age (pdf). Common Sense Group. Authors: Foreword: Michael Nazir-Ali • Preface: John Hayes • Essays: Gareth Bacon • James Sunderland • David Maddox • Edward Leigh • Sally-Ann Hart • Danny Kruger • Peter Lilley • Marco Longhi • Chris Loder • Tom Hunt • Andrew Lewer • Joy Morrissey • Nick Fletcher • Lord Horam of Grimsargh • Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts • Alexander Stafford • Robin Millar • Fiona Bruce • David Burrowes
- ^ Bale, Tim (25 May 2021). "Opinion: The Tory 'war on woke' has a manifesto – and its targets are crushingly familiar". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
This page was last edited on 17 June 2024, at 21:43