The following letter, published in the Christmas edition of The Spectator, was prompted by a review of Graham Brady’s memoir, Kingmaker: Secrets, Lies and the Truth about Five Prime Ministers, covering his long period as Chairman of the 1922 Committee. The letters editor of The Spectator very kindly expressed appreciation. “I know our readers particularly enjoy your letters as I sometimes get queries if they have not heard from you for a while. So a Christmas treat for them.”
Sir, Alex Burghart is evidently a tiresome moderniser (Books, 7 December). He seeks to turn Graham Brady, the longest-serving chairman the famous 1922 Committee has had, into a mere chair, following the wretched fashion of the day. Brady should always be accorded the dignity of his full title. He scarcely put a foot wrong during one of the bleakest periods in Conservative history, constantly showing up the deficencies of hurried fleeting ministers through his imperturbability and tactical skill. During the 14 years he presided over his influential backbench committee, the Conservative party at large got through 15 chairmen, ‘transient and embarrassed phantoms’ (in Disraeli’s famous phrase) every one of them. Brady might perhaps have done a little more to help quash the myth that the 1922 Committee was the creation of heroic Tory backbench MPs who kicked Lloyd George out of power in October 1922, and to substitute the modest truth: that it was brought into existence in April 1923 by a handful of new boys elected in November the previous year.
The one serious criticism that might be made of the otherwise model chairman is that he did not end the current embarrassing system for electing the party leader. What could be more obvious than that party members should select four or so candidates, from which MPs would then elect the leader with whom they felt best able to work?
Alistair Lexden
House of Lords
