ABSTRACT
In this first part we begin by revisiting our ‘working’ PPG definition and note some comparative findings about the formal position and origins of PPGs. Then we will turn to mapping variations in the internal organisation of party groups. The next section will develop one particular aspect of that organisation and look at the position of the individual MP within the groups. In the last two sections we compare the relationships of the PPGs to the external party organisation on the one hand and to the government on the other.
