[edit] Original talk

We could do with a list of all of them. It's clear that some MPs are claimed to be rebels and don't appear on our current list. It could be interesting if some claimed rebels aren't at all - but we need to make sure we have an authoritative list before we challenge the "Maastricht Rebel" tag on individual MP's pages. Secretlondon 13:02, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

I can have a look at Major's autobiography. Morwen - Talk 13:40, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

Thanks - but I think we need to go back to Hansard and see who voted no on the key votes. (although Major's autobiography would be good as well)Secretlondon 13:53, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

OK. From Major, I find

• there were at 46 rebels on one vote, the worst at the time
• Bill Walker should be added to the list
• one of the people attending the rebel's meeting anonymously passed notes to the govt
• on July 23 was the big crunch day - two votes:
• the rebels allied with Labour to try to add the Social Chapter to the Treaty, the govt won this vote by 318 to 317.
• the govt then lost the vote to actually ratify the treaty by 8 votes
• he then called a Motion of Confidence, and pencilled in "early september" for a general election, if needed 1993.
• the next day, they win the motion of confidence (that had the effect of ratifying the treaty), by 38 votes

Morwen - Talk 18:23, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Richard Body

I'm pretty sure that Richard Body didn't actually have the whip withdrawn in November 1994. I seem to recall that he supported the government in the vote but then resigned the whip because he could not support the policy. Perhaps there is something in Hansard on this? Damoo 06:32, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Glancing at Seldon's biography of Major, Body resigned the whip in protest at the treatment of the 8 who had the whip withdrawn. Although he was considered part of the "whipless 9" by the media, he was not part of the later negotiations to restore the whip. He stayed off it for another year. Timrollpickering 21:46, 25 June 2007 (UTC)