Maastricht Rebels
Encyclopedia
The Maastricht Rebels were British Members of Parliament
(MPs) belonging to the then governing Conservative Party
who refused to support the government of John Major
in a series of votes in the House of Commons
on the issue of the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty
(Treaty on European Union) in British law.
The Maastrict Rebellion was a major event in the life of John Major's troubled second term as Prime Minister (1992–1997). Major's party had a small majority, thus giving the relatively small number of rebels disproportionate influence: for example, there were 22 rebels on the second reading of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill in May 1992, and the government's majority at the time was only 18.
The rebellion (as Major later complained in his memoirs) had the support of the former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher
and Lord Tebbit
. Thatcher declared in a speech in the House of Lords
that she "could never have signed that Treaty" and that it was "a recipe for national suicide".
, where a Conservative majority of 23,000 was turned into a Liberal Democrat
majority of 16,000. The Conservatives fell to a mere 23 points in the opinion polls. John Major threatened the rebels with a general election, which would probably have meant annihilation for the Conservative Party.
It was an enormously tense time. The Labour Party
was bringing in heart attack victims and MPs who had just had brain surgery, the stretcher vote, to vote in an effort to bring the government down. The loyalists and rebels in the Conservative party also brought in their own stretcher vote; for example Bill Cash organised for one MP (Bill Walker) who was seriously ill to fly from Scotland secretly, then hid him at the rebels' headquarters in Great College Street, before, with Labour connivance, hiding him in the family room of the Commons so that the Conservative whips would not know; the government consequently lost a vote.
On 22 July 1993, on a Labour amendment to postpone incorporation of the Treaty until the Government adopted the 27th Amendment thereto (the Protocol on Social Policy or "Social Chapter"), the government tied 317-317 against the combined forces of some of the rebels, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and others. It was thus only by the Speaker's
casting vote that the Government won (the Speaker
casting her vote in accordance with the 1867 decision
of Mr Speaker Denison not to create a majority where none exists), to date the most recent occasion on which such a vote has been called for. The remaining rebels (who had abstained on the amendment) then joined their colleagues to defeat the main take-note motion 324–316 in dramatic Commons scenes late on a Thursday evening.
On the following day, it emerged, on inspection of the Division List, that the Government Whip and teller of the Opposition votes Irvine Patnick
had failed to notice an overcount of one vote for the Labour amendment. Had he done so, it would have meant a clear win without a reliance being placed on the Speaker. On the next day (the Friday) the government tabled a differently worded motion to its predecessor, seeking the "confidence" of the House in their policy on the Social Chapter
instead of merely "taking note" thereof. As a result, the Government easily won the substantive question by 339–299. Had the government lost this motion of confidence, a dissolution would have been requested and probably granted.
Bill Cash led the rebellion, organising the finance and offices to set up the European Foundation
and to fund legal challenges to the government. Opposition to Maastricht led to the foundation of the Anti-Federalist League
which ultimately led to the creation of the United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP). Certain rebels later went on to join that Party, such as Christopher Gill and Richard Body, with Roger Knapman
serving as their leader between 2002 and 2006.
The Maastricht rebels continued to harass the government on European issues, coming close to bringing the Government down three times. They repeatedly called Major's bluff on an early dissolution of Parliament. On November 23, 1994, Nick Budgen asked him whether he had spoken to the Queen
about dissolving Parliament. On November 25, 1994, Christopher Gill stated that he would sooner resign as a Conservative than vote for the Bill. All those Conservatives who rebelled over the EC Finance Bill on November 28, 1994 had the Conservative whip
withdrawn.
Deselection was threatened, so they wouldn't be able to stand at the next election, although at that time this was almost entirely a decision for the party members in their Constituency Association. They were constantly harassed by the party. Nick Budgen summed the attitude of the rebels up with this quote: "It would be my general feeling that the transference of power to Europe was so important a matter as to require a vote against any organisation and any party that wished to transfer that power." In 1995, Major called an early leadership election
to attempt to re-impose his authority on the party, and won. However, the infighting did not stop, and the Conservatives were heavily defeated in the general election of May 1997
.
Other MPs who had whip withdrawn for failure to support the government on a confidence issue related to Maastrict:
The party leadership could therefore require a rebellious MP (or an MP involved in a scandal) to be deselected as a candidate by removing his or her name from the Candidates' List or by removing the whip as was done to Howard Flight
MP at the 2005 General Election. Local members who refuse to obey the instructions of Conservative Central Office can have their Association suspended (put on "Special Measures"), as was done to the Slough Association at that election when they refused to deselect their candidate.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) belonging to the then governing Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
who refused to support the government of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in a series of votes in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
on the issue of the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
(Treaty on European Union) in British law.
The Maastrict Rebellion was a major event in the life of John Major's troubled second term as Prime Minister (1992–1997). Major's party had a small majority, thus giving the relatively small number of rebels disproportionate influence: for example, there were 22 rebels on the second reading of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill in May 1992, and the government's majority at the time was only 18.
The rebellion (as Major later complained in his memoirs) had the support of the former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and Lord Tebbit
Norman Tebbit
Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, CH, PC , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet from 1981 to 1987 as Secretary of State for Employment...
. Thatcher declared in a speech in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
that she "could never have signed that Treaty" and that it was "a recipe for national suicide".
Significant events in the rebellion
At the height of the rebellion was the 1993 Christchurch by-electionChristchurch by-election, 1993
A by-election was held in the British House of Commons constituency of Christchurch on 29 July 1993 following the death of sitting Conservative MP Robert Adley....
, where a Conservative majority of 23,000 was turned into a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
majority of 16,000. The Conservatives fell to a mere 23 points in the opinion polls. John Major threatened the rebels with a general election, which would probably have meant annihilation for the Conservative Party.
It was an enormously tense time. The Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
was bringing in heart attack victims and MPs who had just had brain surgery, the stretcher vote, to vote in an effort to bring the government down. The loyalists and rebels in the Conservative party also brought in their own stretcher vote; for example Bill Cash organised for one MP (Bill Walker) who was seriously ill to fly from Scotland secretly, then hid him at the rebels' headquarters in Great College Street, before, with Labour connivance, hiding him in the family room of the Commons so that the Conservative whips would not know; the government consequently lost a vote.
On 22 July 1993, on a Labour amendment to postpone incorporation of the Treaty until the Government adopted the 27th Amendment thereto (the Protocol on Social Policy or "Social Chapter"), the government tied 317-317 against the combined forces of some of the rebels, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and others. It was thus only by the Speaker's
Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC is a British politician, who served as Member of Parliament for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000, initially for the Labour Party and, from 1992 to 2000, as Speaker of the House of Commons...
casting vote that the Government won (the Speaker
Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC is a British politician, who served as Member of Parliament for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000, initially for the Labour Party and, from 1992 to 2000, as Speaker of the House of Commons...
casting her vote in accordance with the 1867 decision
Speaker Denison's rule
Speaker Denison's rule is a constitutional convention established by 19th century Speaker of the British House of Commons, John Evelyn Denison, as to how the Speaker decides on his casting vote in the event of a tie....
of Mr Speaker Denison not to create a majority where none exists), to date the most recent occasion on which such a vote has been called for. The remaining rebels (who had abstained on the amendment) then joined their colleagues to defeat the main take-note motion 324–316 in dramatic Commons scenes late on a Thursday evening.
On the following day, it emerged, on inspection of the Division List, that the Government Whip and teller of the Opposition votes Irvine Patnick
Irvine Patnick
Sir Cyril Irvine Patnick, known as Irvine Patnick OBE is a British businessman and former Conservative Party politician....
had failed to notice an overcount of one vote for the Labour amendment. Had he done so, it would have meant a clear win without a reliance being placed on the Speaker. On the next day (the Friday) the government tabled a differently worded motion to its predecessor, seeking the "confidence" of the House in their policy on the Social Chapter
Social Chapter
The Social Chapter is the chapter of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam covering social policy issues, such as promotion of employment and improved living and working conditions. Prior to the Treaty of Amsterdam the "Agreement on Social Policy" protocol of the 1992 Maastricht Treaty was known as the...
instead of merely "taking note" thereof. As a result, the Government easily won the substantive question by 339–299. Had the government lost this motion of confidence, a dissolution would have been requested and probably granted.
Bill Cash led the rebellion, organising the finance and offices to set up the European Foundation
European Foundation
European Foundation may refer to:* European Foundation * European Foundation Project* European Foundation...
and to fund legal challenges to the government. Opposition to Maastricht led to the foundation of the Anti-Federalist League
Anti-Federalist League
The Anti-Federalist League was a small cross-party organisation in Britain, formed in 1991 to campaign against the Maastricht Treaty. It is mainly remembered now as the forerunner of the United Kingdom Independence Party....
which ultimately led to the creation of the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP). Certain rebels later went on to join that Party, such as Christopher Gill and Richard Body, with Roger Knapman
Roger Knapman
Roger Maurice Knapman is a British politician and the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party ....
serving as their leader between 2002 and 2006.
The Maastricht rebels continued to harass the government on European issues, coming close to bringing the Government down three times. They repeatedly called Major's bluff on an early dissolution of Parliament. On November 23, 1994, Nick Budgen asked him whether he had spoken to the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
about dissolving Parliament. On November 25, 1994, Christopher Gill stated that he would sooner resign as a Conservative than vote for the Bill. All those Conservatives who rebelled over the EC Finance Bill on November 28, 1994 had the Conservative whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
withdrawn.
Deselection was threatened, so they wouldn't be able to stand at the next election, although at that time this was almost entirely a decision for the party members in their Constituency Association. They were constantly harassed by the party. Nick Budgen summed the attitude of the rebels up with this quote: "It would be my general feeling that the transference of power to Europe was so important a matter as to require a vote against any organisation and any party that wished to transfer that power." In 1995, Major called an early leadership election
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 1995
The 1995 Conservative leadership election was initiated when incumbent leader and Prime Minister John Major resigned as leader on 22 June 1995, in order to face down critics within his party...
to attempt to re-impose his authority on the party, and won. However, the infighting did not stop, and the Conservatives were heavily defeated in the general election of May 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
Rebels who had whip withdrawn
Those who had the whip withdrawn following the EC Finance Bill:- Michael CarttissMichael CarttissMichael Reginald Harry Carttiss is a British Conservative Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth from 1983 until his defeat in 1997 by Labour's Anthony Wright....
(Great YarmouthGreat Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)Great Yarmouth is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
) - Nicholas BudgenNicholas BudgenNicholas William Budgen , often called Nick Budgen, was a British Conservative Party politician.Named after St...
(Wolverhampton South West) - Tony Marlow (Northampton NorthNorthampton North (UK Parliament constituency)Northampton North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was created before the election of February 1974 when the old constituency of Northampton...
) - John WilkinsonJohn Arbuthnot Du Cane WilkinsonJohn Arbuthnot Du Cane Wilkinson is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was educated at Eton College and Churchill College, Cambridge.-Electoral history:...
(Ruislip NorthwoodRuislip-Northwood (UK Parliament constituency)Ruislip-Northwood was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
) - Richard ShepherdRichard ShepherdRichard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. He is currently a Member of Parliament, having represented the constituency of Aldridge-Brownhills since 1979....
(Aldridge-BrownhillsAldridge-Brownhills (UK Parliament constituency)Aldridge-Brownhills is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
) - Teresa GormanTeresa GormanTeresa Ellen Gorman is a British politician, and was Conservative Member of Parliament for Billericay, in the county of Essex in England until 2001 when she stood down...
(BillericayBillericay (UK Parliament constituency)Billericay was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.It returned Conservative MPs at every election except 1966....
) - Christopher Gill (LudlowLudlow (UK Parliament constituency)Ludlow is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
) - Sir Teddy TaylorTeddy TaylorSir Edward MacMillan Taylor, usually known as Teddy Taylor , is a British Conservative Party politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1964 to 1979 for Glasgow Cathcart and from 1980 to 2005 for Rochford and Southend East.He was a leading member and sometime Vice-President of the Conservative...
(Southend EastSouthend East (UK Parliament constituency)Southend East was a parliamentary constituency in Essex. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
) - Sir Richard Body (Holland with BostonHolland with Boston (UK Parliament constituency)Holland with Boston was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
) (resigned whip voluntarily following the withdrawal of the whip from the above eight)
Other MPs who had whip withdrawn for failure to support the government on a confidence issue related to Maastrict:
- Rupert AllasonRupert AllasonRupert William Simon Allason is a military historian and former Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Torbay in Devon, from 1987 to 1997...
(TorbayTorbay (UK Parliament constituency)-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Notes and references:...
)
Rebels who also voted against the Government
- Bill Cash (StaffordStafford (UK Parliament constituency)Stafford is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The sitting MP is the Conservative Jeremy Lefroy....
) - Nicholas WintertonNicholas WintertonSir Nicholas Raymond Winterton is a retired British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Macclesfield from 1971 until he retired from the House of Commons at the 2010 general election....
(MacclesfieldMacclesfield (UK Parliament constituency)Macclesfield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
) - Ann WintertonAnn WintertonJane Ann, Lady Winterton is a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Congleton from 1983 to 2010...
(CongletonCongleton (UK Parliament constituency)-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
) - James CranJames CranJames Douglas Cran is a British former Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness in northern England until he stepped down at the 2005 general election, being succeeded as Conservative candidate and MP by Graham Stuart...
(BeverleyBeverley (UK Parliament constituency)Beverley has been the name of a parliamentary constituency in the East Riding of Yorkshire for three separate periods. From medieval times until 1869, it was a parliamentary borough, consisting solely of the market town of Beverley, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons...
) - Michael LordMichael LordMichael Nicholson Lord, Baron Framlingham is a British politician, and was Conservative Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich between 1997 and 2010...
(Central Suffolk) - John BiffenJohn BiffenWilliam John Biffen, Baron Biffen, PC, DL , was a Conservative member of the House of Lords, who previously spent 36 years in the House of Commons.-Early life:...
(North ShropshireNorth Shropshire (UK Parliament constituency)North Shropshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From its first creation in 1832 to the abolition of the first creation in 1885 it elected two Knights of the Shire...
) - Bill Walker (North Tayside)
- Michael Spicer (South Worcestershire)
- George GardinerGeorge Gardiner (politician)Sir George Arthur Gardiner was a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician and journalist.- Early life :...
(ReigateReigate (UK Parliament constituency)Reigate is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
) - Roger KnapmanRoger KnapmanRoger Maurice Knapman is a British politician and the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party ....
(StroudStroud (UK Parliament constituency)Stroud is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
) - Peter TapsellPeter TapsellPeter Tapsell may refer to:*Peter Tapsell , former Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives 1993–1996*Peter Tapsell , British Conservative Member of Parliament...
(East Lindsey) - Walter SweeneyWalter SweeneyWalter Edward Sweeney is a British Conservative politician.-Member of Parliament:In 1992, Sweeney was elected MP for the Vale of Glamorgan by just 19 votes, defeating Labour's John Smith who had received the seat in a 1989 by-election...
(Vale of GlamorganVale of Glamorgan (UK Parliament constituency)Vale of Glamorgan is a county constituency in South Wales, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
) - Sir Trevor SkeetTrevor SkeetSir Trevor Herbert Harry Skeet was a New Zealand lawyer and a British Conservative politician.Skeet was born in New Zealand and was educated at King's College, Auckland and New Zealand University. He served with the New Zealand Army and Navy during World War II...
(Bedfordshire NorthBedfordshire North (UK Parliament constituency)North Bedfordshire was a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
) - Sir Ivan LawrenceIvan LawrenceSir Ivan John Lawrence, QC, is a distinguished criminal barrister and was a British Conservative politician.-Early life:...
(BurtonBurton (UK Parliament constituency)Burton is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
) - Toby JesselToby JesselToby Henry Francis Jessel is a British Conservative Party politician.-Early life:Jessel was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and Balliol College, Oxford and was an exporter...
(TwickenhamTwickenham (UK Parliament constituency)Twickenham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
) - Andrew HunterAndrew Hunter (British politician)Andrew Robert Frederick Ebenezer Hunter is a United Kingdom politician and a member of the Orange Order. He was Member of Parliament for Basingstoke from 1983 until 2005...
(Basingstoke) - Warren HawksleyWarren HawksleyPhilip Warren Hawksley , known as Warren Hawksley, is a British Conservative politician. He was educated at Denstone College. He contested Wolverhampton North East in February and October 1974. He was Member of Parliament for the The Wrekin from 1979 until he lost the seat to the Labour candidate...
(Halesowen and StourbridgeHalesowen and Stourbridge (UK Parliament constituency)Halesowen and Stourbridge was a parliamentary constituency in the West Midlands, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from February 1974 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election....
) - John Carlisle (Luton NorthLuton North (UK Parliament constituency)Luton North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
)
Rebels who abstained
- Iain Duncan SmithIain Duncan SmithGeorge Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
(ChingfordChingford (UK Parliament constituency)Chingford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Chingford in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system....
) - Nicholas FairbairnNicholas FairbairnSir Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn, QC was a British politician.He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kinross and Western Perthshire, elected in 1974 and 1979, and Perth and Kinross, elected 1983, 1987, and 1992. He was Solicitor General for Scotland from 1979 to 1982...
(Perth & KinrossPerth and Kinross (UK Parliament constituency)Perth and Kinross was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
) - died in 1995 - Rhodes BoysonRhodes BoysonSir Rhodes Boyson is a British educator, author and politician and a former Conservative Member of Parliament for Brent North...
(Brent North) - Bernard JenkinBernard JenkinBernard Christison Jenkin is a politician in the United Kingdom, and the current Member of Parliament for Harwich and North Essex...
(Harwich and North EssexHarwich and North Essex (UK Parliament constituency)Harwich and North Essex is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
) - Kenneth Baker (Mole ValleyMole Valley (UK Parliament constituency)Mole Valley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
- Vivian BendallVivian BendallVivian Walter Hough Bendall is a British estate agent and politician. After gaining the seat in a by-election he served as Conservative Member of Parliament for Ilford North from 1978 until his defeat in 1997. Bendall is on the right-wing of the party.-Business life:Born in Croydon, Bendall's...
(Ilford NorthIlford North (UK Parliament constituency)Ilford North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It comprises the north part of the town of Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of...
) - Sir Nicholas Bonsor, 4th BaronetNicholas BonsorSir Nicholas Cosmo Bonsor, 4th Baronet DL is a British Conservative politician.Bonsor was Member of Parliament for Nantwich from 1979 to 1983, then for Upminster from 1983 until he lost the seat to Labour's Keith Darvill in 1997...
(UpminsterUpminster (UK Parliament constituency)Upminster was a constituency of the House of Commons in east London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system...
) - John ButcherJohn Butcher (British politician)John Patrick Butcher was a British Conservative Party politician.Butcher was born in Doncaster but grew up in Huntingdonshire where he was educated at Huntingdon Grammar School and the University of Birmingham...
(Coventry South WestCoventry South West (UK Parliament constituency)Coventry South West was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Coventry. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
) - Sir Peter FryPeter FrySir Peter Derek Fry is a British Conservative Party politician.Born in High Wycombe, Fry was educated at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, and Worcester College, Oxford. He became an insurance broker and a director of the family retail clothing business...
(WellingboroughWellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)Wellingborough is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
) - Sir Michael GryllsMichael GryllsSir William Michael John Grylls, known as Michael Grylls, was a British Conservative politician. He was implicated in the cash-for-questions affair, a poitical scandal of the 1990s...
(North West Surrey) - Sir Roger MoateRoger MoateSir Roger Denis Moate is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom.Moate was educated at Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith and was an insurance broker. He first stood for Parliament for the Faversham constituency at the 1966 general election, losing to Labour's Terence Boston...
(FavershamFaversham (UK Parliament constituency)Faversham was a parliamentary constituency centered on the town of Faversham in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
) - Barry LeggBarry LeggBarry Charles Legg was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South West from 1992 until the 1997 general election when he was defeated by Labour's Phyllis Starkey. He was one of the Maastricht Rebels. He is the chairman of the Bruges GroupHe was controversially selected by Iain...
(Milton Keynes South West) - David PorterDavid Porter (UK politician)David John Porter , was Conservative Member of Parliament for Waveney from 1987 to 1997.Before going into parliament he was a drama teacher at Kirkley High School. After the 1997 election, he concentrated his efforts on supporting the British film industry...
(WaveneyWaveney (UK Parliament constituency)Waveney is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
) - John TownendJohn TownendJohn Ernest Townend is a United Kingdom politician. Educated at Hymers College in Hull, he served in the Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer from 1957–59 and then worked as an accountant. He was managing director of House of Townend wine merchants in Hull, and was active in local government...
(BridlingtonBridlington (UK Parliament constituency)Bridlington was a constituency in East Yorkshire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election....
) - George WaldenGeorge WaldenGeorge Gordon Harvey Walden is a British journalist and a former Conservative Party Member of Parliament who served as the Minister for Higher Education from 1985-87....
(BuckinghamBuckingham (UK Parliament constituency)Buckingham is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
) - John WhittingdaleJohn WhittingdaleJohn Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale OBE, , is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1992.-Education:...
(South Colchester and Maldon)
Other rebels
- Liam FoxLiam FoxLiam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence....
(WoodspringWoodspring (UK Parliament constituency)Woodspring was, from 1983 until 2010, a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
) only signed 1st Early Day Motion against Maastricht - Alan DuncanAlan DuncanAlan James Carter Duncan is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, and a Minister of State in the Department for International Development....
(RutlandRutland (UK Parliament constituency)Rutland was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Rutland. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1918, when it became part of the Rutland and Stamford constituency, along with Stamford in Lincolnshire...
) only signed 1st Early Day Motion against Maastricht - David WillettsDavid WillettsDavid Linsay Willetts is a British Conservative Party politician and the Minister of State for Universities and Science. He is the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Havant in Hampshire.-Education:...
(Havant) only signed 1st Early Day Motion against Maastricht
Changes to Party Rules since 1997
After the Conservatives' catastrophic defeat at the 1997 election, blamed at least in part on the embarrassment caused by the open rebelliousness and infighting of some elements in the party, changes were made to the party's procedures to reduce the freedom of backbench MPs to rebel. Local constituency Associations are now permitted to select as candidates only members of the approved party list or MPs with the whip.The party leadership could therefore require a rebellious MP (or an MP involved in a scandal) to be deselected as a candidate by removing his or her name from the Candidates' List or by removing the whip as was done to Howard Flight
Howard Flight
Howard Emerson Flight, Baron Flight is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom and a member of the House of Lords. He was Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs from 1997 to 2005...
MP at the 2005 General Election. Local members who refuse to obey the instructions of Conservative Central Office can have their Association suspended (put on "Special Measures"), as was done to the Slough Association at that election when they refused to deselect their candidate.