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Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. | 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. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...
Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...
A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ...
The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ...
For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ...
Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups...
The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty of European Union, TEU) was signed on February 7, 1992 in Maastricht, Netherlands after final negotiations in December 1991 between the members of the European Community and entered into force on November 1, 1993 during the Delors Commission. ...
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. Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...
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". Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and to date only woman to hold either post. ...
Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, CH, PC (born 29 March 1931) is a British Conservative politician and former Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford, who was born in Southgate in Enfield. ...
This article is about the British House of Lords. ...
Significant events in the rebellion
At the height of the rebellion was the 1993 Christchurch by-election, 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 have meant annihilation for the Conservative Party. A by-election was held in the British House of Commons constituency of Christchurch on July 29, 1993 following the death of sitting Conservative MP Robert Adley The result was a gain for the Liberal Democrats, notable for the swing necessary to take such a strong Conservative seat. ...
This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
It was an enormously tense time. The Labour Party was bringing heart attack victims and MPs who had just had brain surgery (the "stretcher vote") in 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 wouldn't 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 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 might well have been granted. The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ...
William Nigel Paul Cash, usually known as Bill Cash (born on May 10, 1940, in London, England) is a Roman Catholic British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament and opposition front-bencher. ...
William Charles (Bill) Walker was a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party member of Parliament from 1979 to 1997 and one of the Maastricht Rebels against the embattled administration of John Major during the mid-1990s. ...
is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...
It has been suggested that Speakers of the House be merged into this article or section. ...
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC (born October 8, 1929 in Dewsbury, England), is a British politician and was the first female Speaker of the House of Commons. ...
Speaker Denisons rule is an explanation given by a 19th century Speaker of the British House of Commons, John Evelyn Denison, as to why the Speaker casts his or her vote in most cases in favour of, rather than against, a government, where they have the casting vote. ...
John Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington (January 27, 1800 - March 7, 1873), English statesman, was the eldest son of John Denison (d. ...
Sir Cyril Irvine Patnick, OBE (b. ...
Bill Cash was absolutely fundamental to 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 the United Kingdom Independence Party, such as Christopher Gill and Richard Body, with Roger Knapman serving as their leader between 2002 and 2006. The European Foundation is a leading Eurosceptic think tank based in the United Kingdom. ...
For the 18th century American faction, see Anti-Federalist Party The Anti-Federalist League was a small cross-party organisation in Britain, formed in 1991 to campaign against the Maastricht Treaty. ...
The United Kingdom Independence Party (commonly known as UKIP, pronounced //) is a British political party. ...
The United Kingdom Independence Party (commonly known as UKIP, pronounced //) is a British political party. ...
Christopher Gill (born October 28, United Kingdom. ...
Sir Richard Bernard Frank Stewart Body (born 18 May 1927) is a British politician, and was Conservative MP for Billericay from 1955 to 1959, for Holland with Boston from 1966 to 1997, and for Boston and Skegness from 1997 until he stood down at the 2001 general election. ...
Roger Maurice Knapman (born 20 February 1944 in Crediton, Devon) is a British politician, and is the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). ...
The Maastricht rebels continued to harass the government on European issues, coming within a whisker of bringing John Major 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), and Conservative Whips spat at them. 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."[citation needed] 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. For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ...
is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...
Nicholas William Budgen (November 3, 1937–October 26, 1998) was a British politician. ...
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...
is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...
Christopher Gill (born October 28, United Kingdom. ...
is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...
In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ...
Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...
The 1995 Conservative leadership election was initiated when incumbent leader and Prime Minister John Major resigned as leader on June 22, 1995, in order to face down critics within his party. ...
The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ...
Leading rebels Those who had the whip withdrawn included: Other rebels were: Sir Richard Bernard Frank Stewart Body (born 18 May 1927) is a British politician, and was Conservative MP for Billericay from 1955 to 1959, for Holland with Boston from 1966 to 1997, and for Boston and Skegness from 1997 until he stood down at the 2001 general election. ...
Nicholas William Budgen (November 3, 1937–October 26, 1998) was a British politician. ...
Antony Rivers Marlow (born 17 June 1940), known as Tony Marlow, is a British Conservative former Member of Parliament (MP). ...
John Arbuthnot Du Cane Wilkinson (born September 23, 1940) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ...
Richard Charles Scrimgeour Shepherd (born 6 December 1942, Aberdeen) Educated at the London School of Economics and Johns Hopkins University is a politician in the United Kingdom. ...
Teresa Gorman (born 30 September 1931) 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. ...
Christopher Gill (born October 28, United Kingdom. ...
Sir Edward MacMillan Taylor, usually Teddy Taylor (born April 18, 1937) was a British politician, and a Conservative Member of Parliament 1964-1979 and 1980-2005. ...
Rupert William Simon Allason (born 8 November 1951) is a military historian and former politician in the United Kingdom. ...
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