The One Nation Conservatives is a UK parliamentary caucus of Conservative Party Members of Parliament who identify as one-nation conservatives.
History
In March 2019, the caucus was formed by a group of between 40 and 50 Conservative MPs. Nicky Morgan and Amber Rudd were announced as co-chairs of the caucus, and Damian Green and Nicholas Soames as board members. The One Nation group was reportedly set up in order to unite MPs around a candidate in the upcoming leadership election who would oppose withdrawing from the European Union without a deal.
On 4 June 2019, the caucus hosted the first leadership election hustings, held across two nights. Both events featured 4 different candidates; the first was chaired by Katy Balls (deputy political editor of The Spectator) and the second by Matt Forde.
Following Boris Johnson's election as party leader and appointment as Prime Minister, both co-chairs were given positions in his government. Morgan became the new Culture Secretary and Rudd carried on in her role as Work and Pensions Secretary. As a result, they both resigned the chairmanship and were succeeded by Damian Green.
On 3 September 2019, 21 Conservative MPs had the party whip withdrawn after voting in support of an emergency motion to enable the passage of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019, also known as the "Benn Act". The One Nation caucus released a statement soon after, demanding that the whip be restored.
In October, a delegation of caucus members met the Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 10 Downing Street to discuss the party's position on a no-deal Brexit at the next general election. Following the meeting, Green announced that Johnson had 'looked him in the eye' and assured them that the next Conservative manifesto would not include a no-deal pledge. It was reported that a number of Cabinet ministers and backbench MPs would be willing to resign in the event that such a manifesto commitment were made.
Since 2023, the group's size and influence has been in decline.
Declaration of Values In May 2019, the caucus published a "Declaration of Values", covering a range of domestic, economic and foreign policy issues.
Membership It was estimated that the caucus consisted of approximately 110 Conservative MPs in February 2020. Although a full list has not been made public, individual MPs have been identified by the press. They include:
MP Constituency Notes Bim Afolami Hitchin and Harpenden Guto Bebb Aberconwy Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) The Lord Benyon Newbury Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) Steve Brine Winchester Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) James Brokenshire Old Bexley and Sidcup Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (July 2016 – January 2018)Communities Secretary (April 2018 – July 2019)Minister of State for Security Anthony Browne South Cambridgeshire Robert Buckland South Swindon Justice Secretary (July 2019 – September 2021) Alistair Burt North East Bedfordshire Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) Andy Carter Warrington South Greg Clark Tunbridge Wells Business Secretary (July 2016 – July 2019)Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) The Lord Clarke of Nottingham Rushcliffe Paymaster General (September 1985 – July 1987)Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (July 1987 – July 1988)Secretary of State for Health (July 1988 – November 1990)Secretary of State for Education and Science (November 1990 – April 1992)Home Secretary (April 1992 – May 1993)Chancellor of the Exchequer (May 1993 – May 1997)Secretary of State for Justice and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (May 2010 – September 2012)Minister without portfolio (September 2012 – July 2014)Father of the House of Commons (February 2017 – November 2019)Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) Alberto Costa South Leicestershire Stephen Crabb Preseli Pembrokeshire Secretary of State for Wales (July 2014 – March 2016)Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (March – July 2016) Tobias Ellwood Bournemouth East Laura Farris Newbury Vicky Ford ChelmsfordMinister for Children (February 2020 – Present) George Freeman Mid Norfolk - Mark Garnier Wyre Forest David Gauke South West Hertfordshire Chief Secretary to the Treasury (July 2016 – June 2017)Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (June 2017 – January 2018)Justice Secretary (January 2018 – July 2019)Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) Damian Green Ashford Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (July 2016 – June 2017)First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office (June – December 2017)One Nation Conservative Caucus Chair (since July 2019) Justine Greening Putney Secretary of State for Transport (October 2011 – September 2012)Secretary of State for International Development (September 2012 – July 2016)Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities (July 2016 – January 2018)Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) Dominic Grieve Beaconsfield Attorney General for England and Wales (May 2010 – July 2014)Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) Sam Gyimah East Surrey Independent MP (3 September – 14 September 2019)Liberal Democrat MP (14 September – 6 November 2019) Robert Halfon Harlow Minister without portfolio (May 2015 – July 2016) The Lord Hammond of Runnymede Runnymede and Weybridge Secretary of State for Transport (May 2010 – October 2011)Secretary of State for Defence (October 2011 – July 2014)Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (July 2014 – July 2016)Chancellor of the Exchequer (July 2016 – July 2019)Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) Stephen Hammond Wimbledon Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) Matt Hancock West Suffolk Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (May 2015 – July 2016)Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (January – July 2018)Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (since July 2018) The Lord Harrington of Watford Watford Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) Simon Hoare North Dorset Margot James Stourbridge Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) Gillian Keegan Chichester Sir Oliver Letwin West Dorset Minister of State for Government Policy (May 2010 – May 2015)Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (July 2014 – July 2016)Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) Jerome Mayhew Broadland Anne Milton Guildford Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) The Baroness Morgan of Cotes Loughborough Minister for Women (April 2014 – July 2016)Secretary of State for Education (July 2014 – July 2016)One Nation Conservative Caucus Co-Chair (March – July 2019)Culture Secretary (July 2019 – February 2020) David Mundell Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Scottish Secretary (May 2015 – July 2019) Sir Bob Neill Bromley and Chislehurst Caroline Nokes Romsey and Southampton North Minister of State for Immigration (January 2018 – July 2019)Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) Guy Opperman Hexham Claire Perry Devizes Energy Minister (June 2017 – July 2019) Victoria Prentis Banbury Amber Rudd Hastings and Rye Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (May 2015 – July 2016)Home Secretary (July 2016 – April 2018)One Nation Conservative Caucus Co-Chair (March – July 2019)Work and Pensions Secretary (November 2018 – September 2019)Minister for Women and Equalities (January – April 2018, July – September 2019)Independent MP (7 September – 6 November 2019) Chloe Smith Norwich North Antoinette Sandbach Eddisbury Independent MP (3 September – 31 October 2019)Liberal Democrat MP (31 October – 6 November 2019) Sir Nicholas Soames Mid Sussex Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019) Rory Stewart Penrith and The Border International Development Secretary (May – July 2019)Independent MP (3 September – 6 November 2019) Tom Tugendhat Tonbridge The Lord Vaizey of Didcot Wantage Independent MP (3 September – 29 October 2019)
Leadership Term start Term end Chair(s) 30 March 2019 24 July 2019 Nicky Morgan Amber Rudd 24 July 2019 present Damian Green
See also Tory Reform Group European Research Group
References