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European Research Group

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European Research Group
AbbreviationERG
FormationJuly 1993; 31 years ago (1993-07)
FounderMichael Spicer
Legal statusIPSA-funded pooled service
PurposeSupport research for Eurosceptic UK Conservative MPs who choose to subscribe
Chairman
Mark Francois
Deputy Chairman
David Jones
Deputy Chairwoman
Andrea Jenkyns
Parent organisation
Conservative Party
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The European Research Group (ERG) is a research support group and caucus of Eurosceptic Conservative Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom.[1] In a Financial Times article in 2020, the journalist Sebastian Payne described the ERG as "the most influential [research group] in recent political history".[2]

Serving an annual average of 21 MPs[3][needs update] including cabinet members, the group's focus is the single issue of the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.

History

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Origins and Pre-EU referendum, 1993–2016

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In July 1993 Sir Michael Spicer, the then MP for West Worcestershire, created the European Research Group in response to growing concerns about Britain's continued integration into the European Community through the Maastricht Treaty.[4][5] The Eurosceptic group, which was chaired by Spicer, aimed to promote coordination of right-of-centre opposition across Europe and worked alongside other anti-EU groups such as UKIP and the Referendum Party.[6] Support for the group was boosted in 1995 after it published an anti-federalist pamphlet discussing Euroscepticism which included a foreword by Prime Minister John Major.[7]

Contributors to the research output of the ERG have included Daniel Hannan and Mark Reckless who wrote a paper 'The Euro: bad for business' and Hannan acted as the ERG's first secretary in 1993 according to The Guardian.[8]

An unexpected consequence of the creation of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 and in response to the parliamentary expenses scandal of 2009, was the formation of a sustainable revenue stream for the ERG through the formal mechanism of IPSA's administration of MP's subscriptions to pooled services. This created an opportunity for the ERG, an unincorporated association with no obligation to publish accounts, to fund researchers and establish a social media communications network at taxpayer's expense.

Senior researchers have included Robert Broadhurst, Conservative Parliamentary Researcher of the Year 2010 in the Dods Parliamentary researcher awards,[9] and Christopher Howarth, formerly of Open Europe and son of ERG subscriber Gerald Howarth, who succeeded Broadhurst. In November 2016, Howarth represented the ERG at the parliamentary researchers' and academics' conference on Brexit[10] He is a regular contributor to ConservativeHome and City A.M..[11][12]

In the period leading up to the EU referendum ten members of ERG acted in an official capacity for Vote Leave:

Since the Brexit referendum

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Following the result of the Brexit referendum in 2016 Chris Heaton-Harris MP resigned as ERG's chair and the new chair Steve Baker and deputy chair Michael Tomlinson announced a relaunch of the ERG, calling for the government to withdraw from the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Union Customs Union.[13][14] Baker was subsequently promoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and in May 2017 Suella Braverman replaced him as the group's chair.[15][16] In January 2018, Braverman was also promoted to the Department for Exiting the European Union as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State making way for Jacob Rees-Mogg to be elected.[17]

On 11 September 2018, members of the ERG reportedly met in Westminster to discuss plans to bring down the then prime minister, Theresa May.[18]

On 4 February 2018, columnist Peter Wilby was critical, writing that "The highly secretive body seems to devote most of its efforts to what, if it were left-wing, would be called plotting." In the same article, he quotes The Times as saying it is "the most aggressive and successful political cadre in Britain today".[19]

On 15 February 2019, the Press Association reported that "Critics, however, accuse it of acting as a "party within a party", running its own whipping operation in support of its objective of a so-called "hard" Brexit, if necessary leaving without any deal with Brussels."[20]

On 26 July 2018, the German public international broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that "The European Research Group is a lobbying entity pushing for a no-nonsense, hard Brexit. Some say it is essentially running the show, not the British government." and "In February 2017, the group sent a letter to May setting out their hard-line Brexit demands: Britain should not only leave the EU but also the single market and customs union. That prompted Conservative MP Nicky Morgan, who voted remain, to accuse the ERG of holding Theresa May to ransom. Her then colleague Anna Soubry said that Jacob Rees-Mogg was "running our country. Theresa May is no longer in charge."[21]

On 11 March 2019, the Constitution Unit in the Department of Political Science at University College London reported in Monitor 71 that "The Conservatives have their own party-within-a-party, in the strongly pro-Brexit European Research Group. After many false starts, it forced a vote of no confidence in Theresa May's leadership of the party in December, which she won by 200 votes to 117."[22]

Many new Conservative MPs elected in the 2019 general election joined the group.[23][needs update]

In Government

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On 6 September 2022 Liz Truss succeeded Boris Johnson as Prime Minister and appointed known ERG subscribers to nine senior Cabinet positions including two of the Great Offices of State in her new government:

On 25 October 2022 Rishi Sunak succeeded Liz Truss as Prime Minister without ERG endorsement but appointed ERG members to seven senior Cabinet positions:[25]

Structure

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Chair

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Deputy Chair

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Subscribers

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Subscribers to the pooled service provided by the European Research Group can be identified on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority records of Parliamentary expenses. As an unincorporated association the group does not publish membership details or annual accounts. Various media reports speculate that a wider membership exists and on 1 May 2019, following a ruling by the Information Commissioner's Office that the Department for Exiting the European Union must reveal the existence of an email to the group from Steve Baker, openDemocracy published a report on a wider membership.[31][32][33]

Past subscribers

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Funding

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ERG subscriptions are taxpayer-funded through Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA)-funded pooled service within the formal IPSA Scheme of MPs' Business Costs and Expenses and is one of two such publicly funded pooled services maintained for Conservative MPs.

The ERG has drawn criticism for its lack of transparency regarding its use of public funds to carry out research. A 2017 report by openDemocracy found that more than a quarter of a million pounds had been claimed through MPs' official expenses since 2010, after which Labour MPs called for an inquiry to be carried out by the IPSA into the group's practices.[80] OpenDemocracy's September 2017 report commenced:

Taxpayers' money is being used to fund an influential group of hard-line pro-Brexit Conservative MPs who are increasingly operating as a "party-within-a-party".[81]

According to a 2017 article in The Observer, the ERG has also been funded by a secretive group called the Constitutional Research Council.[82]

In July 2019 a tribunal ruled that the ERG's research must be made public.[83][needs update]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Information relating to the European Research Group (ERG)".
  2. ^ Payne, Sebastian (December 2020). "Disaffected Tory MPs take comfort in research groups". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Assurance Review: Pooled services" (PDF). IPSA. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  4. ^ Spicer, Michael (28 January 2018). "Move over Ukip, Jacob Rees-Mogg and the ERG are now the real Brexit watchdogs". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  5. ^ Usherwood, Simon. "Proximate Factors in the Mobilisation of Anti-EU Groups in France and the UK: The European Union as First-Order Politics". University of Surrey. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  6. ^ Hannan, Daniel (2016). What Next: How to get the best from Brexit. Head of Zeus. p. 22. ISBN 9781786691927.
  7. ^ Davies, Patricia Wynn (28 February 1995). "Euro-rebels may split in key debate". The Independent. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  8. ^ "The man who brought you Brexit". The Guardian. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  9. ^ "European Scrutiny Committee – Parliament UK". Parliament UK. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Brexit: an academic conference – Parliament UK". Parliament UK. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Christopher Howarth – ConservativeHome". ConservativeHome. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  12. ^ "About Christopher Howarth – Blog". WordPress. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  13. ^ Baker, Steve (20 November 2016). "We Must Have a Real EU Exit, Not a Fake One". stevebaker.info. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  14. ^ Frampton, Will (19 November 2016). "Dorset MP calls for Britain to leave single market as he launches new pro-Brexit lobby group". Bournemouth Daily Echo. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  15. ^ Bennett, Owen (13 June 2017). "Theresa May Has Just Promoted The Man Who Could Have Destroyed Her". HuffPost. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  16. ^ Bennett, Owen (19 June 2017). "Hard Brexit Tory Group Choose Suella Fernandes As New Leader". HuffPost. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  17. ^ Swinford, Steven (16 January 2018). "Jacob Rees-Mogg to lead Eurosceptic Tory MPs and 'hold Government to account' over Brexit". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Boris Johnson's bid for the Tory leadership". The Economist. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  19. ^ "The European Research Group is the Tory group more powerful than Momentum". www.newstatesman.com. 9 June 2021.
  20. ^ "The European Research Group: who are they?". BT.com.
  21. ^ "Is the Brexit hard-liner European Research Group running the UK?". DW.COM.
  22. ^ "Monitor 71 — Brexit: the constitution under strain". 11 March 2019.
  23. ^ Devlin, Kate (18 December 2019). "ERG: New MPs flock to join Tory Eurosceptic group". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  24. ^ "Suella Braverman returns as UK Home Secretary under Rishi Sunak less than week after resignation". The National. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  25. ^ "UK Conservative Party's ERG says unable to agree on endorsing either PM candidate". Reuters. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  26. ^ Rowena Mason (16 January 2018). "Jacob Rees-Mogg to lead influential group of Tory Eurosceptic MPs". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  27. ^ a b Christopher Hope (2 August 2019). "Steve Baker set to replace Jacob Rees-Mogg as chairman of ERG". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  28. ^ Graeme Demianyk (25 February 2020). "Steve Baker Quits as Chair of Hardline Tory Brexit Group the ERG, Saying: Thank God We Succeeded". Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  29. ^ Steve Anglesey (13 March 2020). "Mark Francois says he's not going away as he becomes chair of ERG". The New European. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  30. ^ Baker, Steve (20 November 2016). "We must have a real EU exit, not a fake one". Steve Baker.
  31. ^ "Key members of Jacob-Rees Mogg's pro-Brexit MP lobby group finally revealed". opendemocracy.net. Retrieved 1 May 2019./
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Doherty, Denis (19 January 2017). "Brexit: The history of the Tories' influential European Research Group". BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  33. ^ "Revealed: These 70 Tory MPs Support The Hard Brexit Group Led By Jacob Rees-Mogg". buzzfeed.com. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  34. ^ "Suella Fernandes – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  35. ^ "Christopher Chope – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  36. ^ "David Davis – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  37. ^ "Iain Duncan Smith – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  38. ^ "Mark Francois – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  39. ^ "Bernard Jenkin – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  40. ^ "Kit Malthouse – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  41. ^ "Alec Shelbrooke – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  42. ^ "Martin Vickers – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  43. ^ "John Whittingdale – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  44. ^ "Mike Wood – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  45. ^ Maddox, David (8 February 2018). "'Punished for policy' Rees-Mogg leads Tories pushing May to help group FIGHT 'bullying' EU". Daily Express. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  46. ^ @DKShrewsbury (8 April 2019). "Have decided to resign from ERG. Despite excellent Chairmanship by @Jacob_Rees_Mogg who has accommodated all views I can no longer be a member of caucas which is preventing WA4 from passing. Hardcore element of 'Unicorn' dreamers now actually endangering #Brexit" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  47. ^ "David Gauke – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  48. ^ "Chris Pincher – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  49. ^ "Iain Duncan Smith – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  50. ^ Courea, Eleni; Crerar, Pippa; Quinn, Ben; Elgot, Jessica (8 May 2024). "Keir Starmer sparks Labour anger with decision to admit Natalie Elphicke". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  51. ^ "Bim Afolami – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  52. ^ "Steve Baker – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  53. ^ "Therese Coffey – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  54. ^ "Robert Courts – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  55. ^ "Jonathan Djanogly – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  56. ^ "Jackie Doyle-Price – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  57. ^ "James Duddridge – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  58. ^ "'Scrap Rwanda Bill and start again': Tory ERG calls on Sunak to come up with new migrant plan ahead of tomorrow's vote". LBC. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  59. ^ "Liam Fox – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  60. ^ "Michael Gove – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  61. ^ "Chris Grayling – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  62. ^ "Why new MPs are rushing to join the European Research Group". The Week UK. 7 February 2018.
  63. ^ "Chris Heaton-Harris – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  64. ^ "Sajid Javid – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  65. ^ "Eleanor Laing – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  66. ^ "Pauline Latham – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  67. ^ "Andrea Leadsom – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  68. ^ "Brandon Lewis – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  69. ^ "Craig Mackinlay – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  70. ^ "Stephen McPartland – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  71. ^ "Nigel Mills – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  72. ^ "Penny Mordaunt – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  73. ^ "James Morris – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  74. ^ Mason, Rowena; Asthana, Anushka; Elgot, Jessica (11 October 2017). "Theresa May expected to make concessions over 'Henry VIII' powers". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  75. ^ "Jacob Rees-Mogg – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  76. ^ "Mark Simmonds – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  77. ^ "Henry Smith – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  78. ^ "Michael Tomlinson – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  79. ^ "Bill Wiggin – IPSA". IPSA. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  80. ^ "Labour MPs write to IPSA about use of public funds by European Research Group". Open Britain. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  81. ^ Cusick, James (8 September 2017). "MPs demand full investigation of hard-Brexit backing Tory "party within a party"". openDemocracy. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  82. ^ Doward, Jamie (1 July 2017). "Brexit minister linked to group that used loophole to channel £435,000 to DUP". The Observer. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  83. ^ Corderoy, Jenna; Geoghegan, Peter (2 July 2019). "Tax-funded research by Rees-Mogg's ERG must be released, tribunal rules". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
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