Common Sense Group

{{Infobox organization

| name = Common Sense Group

| abbreviation =

| formation = 2020

| leader_title = President

| leader_name = Edward Leigh

| leader_title2 = Chairman

| leader_name2 = John Hayes

| leader_title3 = Vice Chairman

| leader_name3 = Tom Hunt

| parent_organisation = Conservative Party

}}{{Conservatism UK|Organisations}}

The Common Sense Group is an informal group of MPs in the British Conservative Party. The Guardian described it as a hard-right group that was sympathetic to culture wars.{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |date=2023-12-28 |title=Heavy election defeat could lead to Tory lurch to right, analysis shows |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/28/heavy-election-defeat-could-lead-to-tory-lurch-to-right-analysis-shows |access-date=2023-12-28 |issn=0261-3077}} It was created in 2020, inspired by the European Research Group, a Eurosceptic Conservative faction. In 2021, it published a manifesto, Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age.

History

The Common Sense Group was created in mid-2020. By November, it included 59 MPs and seven members of the House of Lords.{{cite news |last1=Bland |first1=Archie |last2=Elgot |first2=Jessica |date=11 November 2020 |title=Dissatisfied Tory MPs flock to ERG-inspired pressure groups |url=https://theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/11/dissatisfied-tory-mps-flock-to-erg-inspired-pressure-groups |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=The Guardian}} Its president is Edward Leigh MP.{{cite book |title= Conference 2021: What's on? - Monday 4th October, Fringe Events - 8:30pm the Common Sense Group & Blue Collar Conservatives |page=88 |url=https://public.conservatives.com/static/documents/conference/conference-2021/Conference%202021_What-s%20On---SCREEN.pdf |year=2021 |access-date=21 May 2022}}

Following an interim report on the connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, including links with historic slavery, members of the group signed a letter to The Telegraph in November 2020. The letter accused the National Trust of being "coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the woke agenda".{{cite news |title=Will the police break up Armistice Day ceremonies on Wednesday? |date=9 November 2020 |newspaper=The Telegraph |language=en |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2020/11/09/letterswill-police-break-armistice-day-ceremonies-wednesday/ |access-date=20 May 2022}} Letter to the Editor signed by Lee Anderson • Gareth Bacon • Scott Benton • Bob Blackman • Ben Bradley • Brendan Clarke-Smith • Philip Davies • Nick Fletcher • Jonathan Gullis • Sally-Ann Hart • John Hayes • Tom Hunt • Edward Leigh • Andrew Lewer • Chris Loder • Marco Longhi • Craig Mackinlay • Karl McCartney • Pauline Latham • David Morris • Andrew Rosindell • James Sunderland • Martin Vickers • Giles Watling • William Wragg • Baroness Eaton • Lord Lilley

The group's manifesto, Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age, was published in May 2021.{{cite news |last=Steerpike |date=12 May 2021 |title=Tories unveil anti-woke manifesto |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/tories-unveil-anti-woke-manifesto |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=The Spectator}} John Hayes MP wrote in the Preface, "With opportunities provided by Brexit, the time for a refreshed national conversation on the defining issues of our time – nationhood, community, migration, the rule of law and public order – is now."{{cite book|last=Hayes |first=John| author-link=John Hayes (British politician) |title= Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age (pdf) |publisher=Common Sense Group|date= May 2021}} Authors: Foreword: Michael Nazir-Ali • Preface: John Hayes • Essays: Gareth Bacon • James Sunderland • David Maddox • Edward Leigh • Sally-Ann Hart • Danny Kruger • Peter Lilley • Marco Longhi • Chris Loder • Tom Hunt • Andrew Lewer • Joy Morrissey • Nick Fletcher • Lord Horam of Grimsargh • Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts • Alexander Stafford • Robin Millar • Fiona Bruce • David Burrowes{{cite news|last=Bale |first=Tim |title= Opinion: The Tory 'war on woke' has a manifesto – and its targets are crushingly familiar |work= The Guardian |url=https://theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/11/dissatisfied-tory-mps-flock-to-erg-inspired-pressure-groups |date=25 May 2021 |access-date=20 May 2022}}