Rebels and rebellions: Conservative MPs in the 1992 Parliament

Authors: Cowley P.; Norton P.

Source: British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Volume 1, Number 1, April 1999 , pp. 84-105(22)

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Abstract:

During the 1992 Parliament the Conservative Party lost its reputation for unity. The parliamentary party, said by some to be unusually rebellious, got the blame. This article places the levels of dissent in the division lobbies of the House of Commons in historical perspective, comparing the 1992 Parliament with those before. Contrary to received wisdom, Conservative MPs were not noticeably more rebellious after 1992. The article also considers the ideological and factional basis of the rebellions. Because the rebellions in Parliament focused almost exclusively on Europe, the party remained one of tendencies, albeit well-organised and cohesive tendencies, rather than factions; and the extent to which the rebellions cut across existing ideological cleavages has been overstated.

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-856X.00005

Affiliations: 1: Centre for Legislative Studies, The University of Hull, Faculty of Social Sciences, Hull, HU6 7RX

Publication date: 1999-04-01