David Cameron provoked his first major confrontation with the Tory right when he announced plans to weaken the role of backbench MPs by ending their right to hold a formal parliamentary meeting without ministers present. In a move described by rightwingers as worthy of North Korea, Cameron announced an immediate ballot of all Tory MPs to allow ministers to attend the weekly meetings of the 1922 committee. The ballot, which opened within an hour of the meeting and is to be run by the whips, will close tomorrow. Senior Tories believe that the idea, sprung on the party by Cameron at a meeting with no notice, was suggested by John Major, who was plagued by backbench rebellions. The Tory leadership hopes the presence of ministers at the 1922 committee will make it more difficult for troublemakers to plot against the government.
