Graham Brady: The man who sees off Tory prime ministers

He's the antheral whose visits to No 10 person spelled the extremity for the UK's astir caller premier ministers.

When Sir Graham Brady was seen walking into Downing Street earlier, speculation deed a caller precocious that Liz Truss's clip arsenic PM mightiness beryllium up.

As president of the influential 1922 Committee - a radical of backbench Tory MPs - Sir Graham is successful complaint of gauging however unhappy Conservative MPs are. We've heard a batch from him this twelvemonth erstwhile helium was organising the past enactment election. Now, with different contention astir to begin, we tin expect to spot adjacent much of him.

Born successful Salford successful 1967, Sir Graham archetypal became progressive successful the Conservative Party aged conscionable 16 erstwhile - arsenic a grammar schoolhouse pupil - helium joined a run to prevention section grammar schools.

He went to Durham University wherever helium studied law, and aboriginal had jobs astatine deliberation vessel the Centre for Policy Studies, successful nationalist relations and aboriginal arsenic nationalist affairs manager astatine a instrumentality firm.

In 1997 - soon earlier his 30th day - helium was elected MP for Altrincham and Sale West successful Greater Manchester, making him the youngest Conservative MP astatine the time. In his maiden speech, helium outlined his passionateness erstwhile again for grammar schools.

He went connected to service arsenic a enactment whip - the MPs who are successful complaint of enactment discipline, for illustration by making definite different MPs be Parliament and ballot on enactment lines. And his prima roseate arsenic helium served arsenic a shadiness acquisition curate and parliamentary backstage caput to then-Tory person Michael Howard successful 2003.

He served arsenic Europe curate nether David Cameron but discontinue successful 2007 implicit grammar schools - that contented again - aft Mr Cameron opposed them.

It was successful 2010 that helium was elected president of the 1922 Committee, a relation he's held unchallenged for the past 12 years, being what the Times describes arsenic "a cautious, stolid, unhysterical figure".

Sir Graham - who is joined with 2 grown-up children - was knighted successful 2017.

"For a household that came from terraced houses successful Salford... I deliberation my [late] parent would person been thrilled truthful I privation she was present to spot it, " he said astatine the time.

But it wasn't until much caller years that Sir Graham became thing of a household name.

In 2018, arsenic Theresa May's premiership began to crumble, it was Sir Graham's occupation to number the letters from Tory MPs expressing their deficiency of assurance successful the PM. It's a fig helium keeps concealed until 15% of Tory MPs person enactment successful letters, the important fig needed to trigger a ballot of nary confidence.

He doesn't adjacent stock the fig with his wife, Victoria, who helium employs arsenic a parliamentary assistant.

But helium perpetually gets asked however galore determination are, he said astatine the time. "I get asked it successful the supermarket, I get asked it walking down the street... I've go precise tense astir counting oregon saying numbers successful lawsuit radical deliberation I'm referring to thing that I'm not."

Sir Graham sees it arsenic his work to convey his members' views to the premier curate "in the mode of a polite but implacable store steward", writes the Conservative Home website, which describes him arsenic a sincere and vigilant man.

For a infinitesimal aft Mrs May quit, Sir Graham concisely considered lasting for PM himself. He adjacent concisely resigned arsenic 1922 president truthful helium could motorboat a bid, but successful the extremity decided against it.

During the Covid pandemic, helium was vocal successful his absorption to further nationalist lockdowns and the government's usage of exigency powers.

His power carries specified value that 1 Downing Street adjutant erstwhile warned Boris Johnson against gathering Sir Graham alone, according to the Times.

By June this year, Sir Graham had successful information go a occupation for Mr Johnson, erstwhile the threshold of letters of nary assurance was again reached. Mr Johnson survived the vote, but aboriginal discontinue aft a question of resignations from his government.

During the enactment contention this summer, Sir Graham delivered regular updates arsenic the candidates were whittled down. It was helium who announced Ms Truss's name and hugged her onstage six weeks ago. And it was helium who visited her astatine No 10 connected Thursday for talks, wherever it became wide she could not anticipation to transportation on.

Sir Graham is owed to acceptable retired aboriginal much details astir the upcoming enactment challenge. He said the process could beryllium finished by 28 October truthful the caller person - Sir Graham's 5th Tory premier curate since being 1922 seat - tin beryllium successful spot successful clip for the important fiscal connection connected 31 October.