Formation | Summer 2018 |
---|---|
President | Edward Leigh |
Chairman | John Hayes |
Vice Chairman | Tom Hunt |
Parent organisation | Conservative Party |
The Common Sense Group is an informal group of Conservative MPs in the United Kingdom who advocate a range of ideals. TheGuardian described the Common Sense Group as a "hard-right or culture war-sympathetic faction". [1]
The group was inspired by the euro-sceptic European Research Group and has published a book, Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age. [2] [3]
The Guardian said in November 2020 that the group "launched quietly in the summer with about 40 members ... and now has 59 MPs and 7 members of the House of Lords in its ranks". [2] Its president is Edward Leigh MP. [4]
The Common Sense Group has been said to be a revival of the Cornerstone Group, which appeared to be inactive after the 2019 elections (the source of the Cornerstone "About" page shows a last modified date in 2018). [5]
Following an interim report on the connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, including links with historic slavery, members of the group signed a letter to The Telegraph in November 2020. The letter accused the National Trust of being "coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the woke agenda". [6]
The group's manifesto, Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age, was published in May 2021. [3] John Hayes MP wrote in the Preface, "With opportunities provided by Brexit, the time for a refreshed national conversation on the defining issues of our time – nationhood, community, migration, the rule of law and public order – is now." [7] [8]
Members of the group include: [6] [7]
Members of Parliament:
Members of the House of Lords:
Others:
Lee Anderson was formerly a member of the group, prior to his defection to Reform UK.
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