Bernard Jenkin
Encyclopedia
Bernard Christison Jenkin (born 9 April 1959) is a politician in the United Kingdom
, and the current Member of Parliament
(MP) for Harwich and North Essex
. He was Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party
, and had responsibility for candidates until 7 November 2006 when this role was given to John Maples
.
(Highgate), William Ellis School
(also in Highgate
) and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
, where he was awarded a Choral Exhibition and gained an BA
honours degree in English literature
in 1982. He was President of the Cambridge Union Society
in 1982. He worked for Ford
and the private equity
company 3i
as Manager of Legal & General Ventures from 1989-92. From 1992-95, he was an advisor to Legal & General Group plc
.
in the 1987 general election
. At the 1992 general election
he was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Colchester North
. When that constituency was abolished for the 1997 general election
, he was returned to the House of Commons for the newly-re-established North Essex
constituency.
In John Major
's 1992-1997 government, Jenkin was one of the "Maastricht rebels
" who defied the party whip
to oppose the Maastricht treaty
. William Hague
appointed him Shadow Secretary of State for Transport (1998–2001). He has also served as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence (2001–03) under Iain Duncan Smith
and as Shadow Regions Secretary (2003–05) for Michael Howard
. He has also been Shadow Energy Minister.
, which offers residential treatment to ex-servicemen and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. To mark his 50th birthday, he held a fundraising event in March 2009 which raised over £50,000 for the charity.
in 1988 and has two sons. His father is the British politician and life peer Patrick, Lord Jenkin of Roding, a descendant of the scientist Fleeming Jenkin
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Harwich and North Essex
Harwich and North Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
Harwich and North Essex is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. He was Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, and had responsibility for candidates until 7 November 2006 when this role was given to John Maples
John Maples
John Cradock Maples, Baron Maples is British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as a Member of Parliament representing Lewisham West from 1982 to 1992 and Stratford-upon-Avon from 1997 to 2010...
.
Early life
Jenkin was educated at Highgate SchoolHighgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
(Highgate), William Ellis School
William Ellis School
William Ellis School is a United Kingdom secondary comprehensive school for boys in Highgate, London.-Admissions:It is a specialist Language College. The School's motto is 'Rather Use Than Fame'. The school is over-subscribed, usually an indicator of a popular school. It is situated just west of...
(also in Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
) and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, where he was awarded a Choral Exhibition and gained an BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
honours degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
in 1982. He was President of the Cambridge Union Society
Cambridge Union Society
The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to as simply "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating society in Cambridge, England and is the largest society at the University of Cambridge. Since its founding in 1815, the Union has developed a worldwide reputation as a noted symbol of...
in 1982. He worked for Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and the private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
company 3i
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
as Manager of Legal & General Ventures from 1989-92. From 1992-95, he was an advisor to Legal & General Group plc
Legal & General
Legal & General Group Plc , commonly known as Legal & General, is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its products include life insurance, general insurance, pensions and investments. It has operations in the United Kingdom, Egypt, France, Germany,...
.
Parliamentary career
Declaring that he wanted to "illustrate that people in the South-East haven't forgotten about Scotland", Jenkin stood for election in Glasgow CentralGlasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Central is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . In its current form, the constituency was first used in the general election of 2005, but there was also a Glasgow Central constituency from 1885 to 1997.- Boundaries :The Redistribution of Seats Act...
in the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. At the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
he was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Colchester North
Colchester North (UK Parliament constituency)
Colchester North was a borough constituency in Essex, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was a safe Conservative seat throughout its...
. When that constituency was abolished for the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, he was returned to the House of Commons for the newly-re-established North Essex
North Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
North Essex was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2010...
constituency.
In John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's 1992-1997 government, Jenkin was one of the "Maastricht rebels
Maastricht Rebels
The Maastricht Rebels were British Members of Parliament belonging to the then governing Conservative Party who refused to support the government of John Major in a series of votes in the House of Commons on the issue of the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty in British law.The Maastrict...
" who defied the party whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
to oppose the Maastricht treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
. William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
appointed him Shadow Secretary of State for Transport (1998–2001). He has also served as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence (2001–03) under Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
and as Shadow Regions Secretary (2003–05) for Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
. He has also been Shadow Energy Minister.
Combat Stress
Jenkin is the Vice-President of the UK charity Combat StressCombat Stress
Combat Stress is a UK charity offering residential treatment to ex-servicemen and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health issues....
, which offers residential treatment to ex-servicemen and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. To mark his 50th birthday, he held a fundraising event in March 2009 which raised over £50,000 for the charity.
Family
He married Anne Caroline StruttAnne Jenkin, Baroness Jenkin of Kennington
Anne Caroline Jenkin, Baroness Jenkin of Kennington is a PR consultant and Conservative member of the House of Lords.Jenkin was born Anne Caroline Strutt on 8 December 1955 to the Hon. Charles Strutt and the Hon. Jean Davidson. Her father is the son of the physicist the 4th Baron Rayleigh by his...
in 1988 and has two sons. His father is the British politician and life peer Patrick, Lord Jenkin of Roding, a descendant of the scientist Fleeming Jenkin
Fleeming Jenkin
Henry Charles Fleeming Jenkin was Professor of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, remarkable for his versatility. Known to the world as the inventor of telpherage, he was an electrician and cable engineer, economist, lecturer, linguist, critic, actor, dramatist and artist...
.
External links
- Bernard Jenkin MP official website
- Bernard Jenkin CV
- Bernard Jenkin MP biography at the site of the Conservative Party
- ePolitix.com – Bernard Jenkin
- Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Bernard Jenkin MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com – Bernard Jenkin MP
- The Public Whip – Bernard Jenkin MP voting record
- BBC News – Bernard Jenkin profile 20 June 2006