[6] The last time a leader lost such a vote was on 29 October 2003, when Iain Duncan Smith was defeated by 90 to 75.
The name does not, as is sometimes wrongly supposed, stem from the 19 October 1922 Carlton Club meeting, in which Conservative MPs successfully demanded that the party withdraw from the coalition government of David Lloyd George, and which triggered the 1922 general election.
The term "men in grey suits", meaning a delegation of Conservative MPs who tell a party leader that it is time for them to step down without forcing an open challenge, is often used in reference to members of the 1922 Committee.
[12][13][14][15] On 19 May 2010, shortly after the Conservatives had formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, Prime Minister David Cameron suggested altering the committee to involve frontbench ministers in the recommendation forming process, angering some backbench MPs.
[19] The Committee was left with two remaining members after the general election, who were the only two Conservative Party MPs to stand.
The former chair, Graham Brady, had stood down as an MP in the 2024 general election, creating a vacancy.
This included senior Conservatives such as Mark Francois, Jeremy Hunt and Edward Leigh.
One MP with nominations was left off the ballot paper, leading to calls to re-run the vote.