Brady served as a shadow minister under four Conservative leaders before resigning in 2007 in protest at David Cameron's opposition to grammar schools.

During his tenure as 1922 Committee chairman, Brady has overseen the election of three Conservative Party leaders and Prime Ministers (Theresa May, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak)[a] as well as votes of no confidence in May and Boris Johnson.

Brady was selected to contest the Altrincham and Sale West, following the retirement of the Conservative MP Fergus Montgomery.

In 1998 Brady made enquiries to John Bourn, at the time Comptroller and Auditor General, on his decision not to publish a National Audit Office report on the controversial Al-Yamamah arms deal.

In February 2000, Brady complained about anti-grammar school literature circulated to parents in Altrincham by Michael Evans, then head of Trinity Church of England High School, arguing that this violated rules about public funds being used for campaign material – a complaint subsequently upheld by Secretary of State for Education David Blunkett.

[11] Following the election, Brady continued as an opposition spokesman on Education and Skills under the leadership of both Hague and Iain Duncan Smith.

[14] On 29 May 2007, Brady resigned his post as Shadow Minister for Europe in protest at Conservative leader David Cameron's opposition to grammar schools.

He told the BBC that "faced with a choice between a front bench position that I have loved and doing what I believe to be right for my constituents and for the many hundreds of thousands of families who are ill-served by state education in this country, there is in conscience only one option open to me", and argued that "grammar schools in selective areas are exactly the motor that does drive social mobility more effectively than comprehensive areas".

[16] In 2013, he opposed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, raising concerns that the measure had not been in the Conservative manifesto and that religious freedom could be compromised.

[21] In July 2018, it was reported that Brady served as editor of The House, the in-house Parliamentary magazine, earning a salary of £26,000 for the role.

His Deputy Chairmen Cheryl Gillan and Charles Walker oversaw the 2019 leadership contest which resulted in the election of Boris Johnson.

Brady temporarily returned to the 1922 Committee on 3 September 2019, to serve as its acting Chairman "until a new executive is elected in the next session of Parliament".

[29] Brady's role as Chairman of the 1922 has given him a high public profile, as it falls to him to announce the results of each leadership election or challenge, and this is often followed on live TV and streaming around the world.

On 29 January 2019, the House of Commons voted 317 to 301 to approve Brady's amendment to the Brexit Next Steps motion,[30] which called for "the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border, supports leaving the European Union with a deal and would therefore support the Withdrawal Agreement subject to this change".

[31] Speaking out against a second lockdown, he also spoke about COVID-related mental health issues, such as increased rates of suicide and domestic abuse, as well as excess deaths caused due to reduced access for care.