The 301 Group purge the 1922 committee

The 1922 elections were not a clean sweep for the loyalist 301 Group slate, they missed out on one of the secretary position.

But they have pretty much succeeded in purging the ’22 and the Backbench Business Committee of the so-called ‘wreckers’. Indeed, the only ‘wrecker’ who has survived is Bernard Jenkin who remains on the ’22 executive. But, significantly, I understand that Stewart Jackson, who spoke up in defence of Nadine Dorries at ’22 last week and was very critical of David Cameron at the weekend, came — in the words of one who has seen the actual voting numbers — ‘within a whisker’ of being elected to the executive.

These elections are odd affairs, people vote on friendship as much as ideology. Jenkin, for instance, pulled in a large number of personal votes from those who do not agree with his politics. Nick de Bois, who ran as a ‘non-slated’ candidate, appears to have benefitted both from his own popularity and irritation at the 301’s decision to run so public a slate.