Tory lockdown critic Sir Graham Brady has seen off a bid by Boris Johnson’s supporters to oust him from his powerful post as mouthpiece of Conservative backbenchers.

The Altrincham and Sale West MP defeated former junior minister Heather Wheeler, the prime minister’s favoured candidate, in a fiercely fought election for the chairmanship of the 1922 Committee.

Sources have told Sky News the result was “close” and Conservative MPs report that disgruntled supporters of Ms Wheeler are now demanding voting numbers are published by the returning officer, senior Tory MP Sir Charles Walker.

The chairman of “the ’22”, the shop steward of Conservative backbenchers, is one of the most influential positions in the Tory party, with the power to make or break ministerial careers and even topple prime ministers.

Its executive committee was traditionally known as “the men in grey suits”, who according to political folklore had the power to hand a failing party leader “a glass of whisky and a pearl-handled revolver in a darkened room”.

MPs told Sky News the prime minister wanted to remove Sir Graham because of his public criticism of lockdowns in TV and radio interviews and newspaper articles and his frequent rebellions in House of Commons votes.

Government sources denied being involved in Ms Wheeler’s campaign and only Conservative backbenchers were allowed to vote in the election. MPs on the government payroll were barred from voting.

But senior Tories claimed Conservative Party co-chairman Ben Elliot, nephew of Camilla Parker-Bowles, had masterminded an attempted coup to remove Sir Graham, which ultimately failed.

Conservative MPs also revealed that ex-minister Robert Goodwill, who announced his decision to stand earlier this year but later withdrew, urged Tory backbenchers to vote for Ms Wheeler.

Announcing his victory, a relieved Sir Graham declared: “It is a privilege to have been re-elected as chairman of the 1922 Committee after 11 years serving the parliamentary Conservative Party.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for this vote of confidence.”

His re-election is a massive embarrassment for the prime minister and further evidence that Conservative backbenchers are not always prepared to vote for his chosen candidates in elections.

A year ago, Mr Johnson was humiliated when he tried to impose former cabinet minister Chris Grayling as chairman of parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, but the committee voted for senior backbencher Julian Lewis instead.

Labour MPs were quick to taunt the prime minister after Sir Graham’s re-election on Wednesday.

“Even Tory MPs now telling Johnson where to get off. Well done, Sir Graham!” tweeted former cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw.

Sir Graham has also overcome opposition from the Tory leadership before. When he was elected chairman in 2010 he beat David Cameron’s preferred candidate, Richard Ottaway, by 126 votes to 85 .

Before his defeat of Ms Wheeler was announced, a senior MP who was a minister under David Cameron and Theresa May told Sky News Sir Graham was in danger of defeat, since his opponent had mobilised the 2015, 2017 and 2019 intakes of Tory MPs, claiming she was the change candidate.

“Some MPs in the 2019 intake have said Graham Brady is aloof and ‘doesn’t speak to backbenchers or ask our view and he is supposedly our shop steward’,” the MP said. “Even if it’s not true, there is a perception.

“I think the message has been very, very unofficially put around that the government would like a change and hence the ambitious are listening.”

But the MP added, perceptively as it turned out: “Never forget that this is potentially a very duplicitous audience.”

In an email to Conservative MPs during his campaign, Sir Graham said he would support “the independence of backbenchers”, had “proven discretion and integrity” and was a “trusted confidant” of fellow MPs.

But in an attack on Sir Graham, Derbyshire South MP Ms Wheeler said in her letter to Tory MPs that she wanted to resolve disputes between ministers and backbenchers behind closed doors.

“I don’t just want to use my position to promote my view,” she wrote, in a clear attack on Sir Graham. “I want to take colleagues’ view forward and resolve the issues they care about. I want to listen and have a party that works as a team.”

In recent months, Sir Graham has infuriated government ministers with his increasingly hostile criticisms of the prime minister’s lockdown measures in interventions inside and outside parliament.

Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

During one lockdown debate, last November, he said: “I question whether the government actually has any right to take those measures.

“The thing that troubles me most is the government is reaching too far into the private and family lives of our constituents.

“I think there is a perhaps unintended arrogance in assuming the government has the right to do so.”

In a Daily Mail article, he wrote: “The government’s response to the coronavirus has badly undermined common sense.

“Faith in the judgement of ordinary citizens has been replaced by endless coercion and instruction by the authorities.”

And in a Sky News interview earlier this year, attacking a government ban on UK citizens travelling abroad, he said: “When I was a boy, stopping people travelling overseas was something the Soviet Union did.”

Mr Brady, as he then was, quit the Conservative front bench in 2007 over Mr Cameron’s opposition to grammar schools and urged him to form a minority administration rather than a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

After his election as 1922 chairman in 2010, Mr Cameron hit back, attempting to increase his control over the committee by proposing that ministers should become full members, with the right to vote in the election for chairman.

The move was passed by 168 votes to 118, but a compromise was then drawn up under which ministers and whips would remain members of the 1922 committee, but not vote on the chairmanship or stand as officials.

Related posts:

PM’s review of social distancing rules set to be delayed by Indian variant Call for Corbyn to be investigated over ‘failure to declare legal costs support’ Sleaze watchdog chair raises concerns after member of PM’s old university club appointed FIFA boss urges PM to give footballers due to play red list internationals an exemption Biden has ‘a lot of fish to fry’: PM plays down prospect of US-UK trade deal breakthrough PM says energy crisis is a ‘short-term problem’ and dismisses risk of Christmas disruption ‘Anti-democratic’: Labour Party facing ‘civil war’ over Starmer’s leadership vote shake-up A couple of wins for Johnson, but no trade deal with the US is a major setback Govt hoping to axe PCR tests for vaccinated holidaymakers by October half-term, minister says Govt will ‘look at data available’ on Monday to make post-Christmas restrictions decision – UKHSA boss No more COVID rules in England before New Year, Javid confirms The PM knows he’s in the ‘kill zone’ – he’s fighting back hard, but it may be too late