Is Boris Johnson losing control of Tory backbenchers?

Pressure is building among Conservative MPs over the Huawei decision and alignment with China – just as it did with the European Research Group, writes Sean O'Grady

Not quite one year into his premiership, a substantial majority and with Brexit ‘done’ (or claimed to be) Johnson is already the subject of rumours and whispers (Reuters)

You might think that the idea of a “China Research Group” is some sort of satirical take on the Tory splits over policy on Huawei and China. Just like the very real European Research Group, you see, the imaginary China Research Group might be expected, according to this soured view of the scene, to have a similarly overinflated opinion of its own virtues and how much it, and indeed Great Britain, can throw its weight around in the world. The CRG would boast its own equivalents of the ERG’s Mark Francois, David Davis and Iain Duncan Smith; and make a lot of noise.

But the CRG is real, and noisy, and its sympathisers (if not actual members) do indeed include Mark Francois, David Davis and Iain Duncan Smith (there is no public definitive list of the CRG’s “members”). Like the ERG, it likes making trouble. In March came the biggest rebellion of the Johnson majority government since it was elected last year, and some 38 Tory MPs defied the whip on a vote about Huawei’s involvement in 5G.

The Venn diagram overlap with the Eurosceptic right is striking. Apart from Francois, Davis and Duncan Smith, you will find other familiar names from past Brexity revolts – including Graham Brady (chair of the backbench 1922 Committee), Andrew Bridgen, Esther McVey, Owen Paterson, John Redwood and Andrew Rosindell. The usual suspects, you might say; but the new wave of Sinosceptics drew support from other, ex-Remain, corners of the parliamentary party, including Damian Green and Tom Tugenhat. Tugenhat is chair of the CRG (as well as the foreign affairs select committee), and Neil O’Brien, first elected an MP in 2019, is secretary of it.