Bernard Jenkin was born on 9 April 1959 in Wood Green, to Patrick Jenkin, who subsequently became a Conservative MP and Cabinet minister, and later a life peer (as Baron Jenkin of Roding); and Monica Jenkin (née Graham). He is a descendant of the scientist Fleeming Jenkin.
After graduation, Jenkin worked for Ford and the private equity company 3i as Manager of Legal & General Ventures from 1989 to 1992. From 1992 to 1995, he was an advisor to Legal & General Group plc.
Prior to the 1997 general election, Colchester North was abolished, and replaced with North Essex. At the general election, Jenkin was elected as MP for North Essex with 43.9% of the vote and a majority of 5,476.[5]
Jenkin was again re-elected at the 2005 general election with an increased vote share of 47.6% and an increased majority of 10,903.[7] He was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party after the general election and served until 7 November 2006, when he was replaced by John Maples.[8] Jenkin's deputy chairman role came to an end when, during a shadow cabinet reshuffle, he was offered another frontbench position, which he declined, reportedly saying to David Cameron that only a return to the shadow cabinet would interest him.[9]
Prior to the 2010 general election, Jenkin's constituency of North Essex was abolished and replaced with Harwich and North Essex. At the election, Jenkin was elected as MP for Harwich and North Essex with 46.9% of the vote and a majority of 11,447.[11][12]
Jenkin, who gained a reputation as a critic of the Coalition government, led calls to drop the House of Lords Reform Bill 2012.[14] Jenkin voted in favour of same sex marriage in 2013 "as a matter of principle", whilst acknowledging the decision to hold the debate caused much "political unhappiness".[15]
In January 2014, Jenkin drafted a letter calling for Prime Minister Cameron to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU to give the House of Commons powers to veto EU legislation, which was ultimately signed by 95 MPs, and reportedly backed by another six.[16] Following the Scottish independence referendum and promises made to further devolve powers to Scotland, Jenkin called for the creation of an "English First Minister" and for departments responsible for policy that applied only in England to be accountable only to the English MPs.[17]
Jenkin was one of the most vocal supporters of the Eurosceptic pressure group Leave Means Leave, and was a prominent Leave supporter in the Brexit referendum.[20]
7th term (2017-2019)
At the snap 2017 general election, Jenkin was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 58.5% and a decreased majority of 14,356.[21]
In September 2019, Jenkin criticised the House of Commons speaker John Bercow, stating that he was "irretrievably politicised and radicalised". This comment came after Bercow made a speech warning Boris Johnson that "the only form of Brexit which we will have, whenever that might be, will be a Brexit that the House of Commons has explicitly endorsed".[22]
8th term (2019-2024)
Jenkin was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, with an increased vote share of 60.3% and an increased majority of 20,182.[23]
In 2021, he was a critic of Russia, and urged the government to take action in Ukraine.[25]
In June 2023 Boris Johnson called for Jenkin to resign, after his participation in the Commons Select Committee of Privileges which investigated whether Johnson had misled parliament, when it was reported by the Guido Fawkes website that Jenkin had attended an event on 8 December 2020 in parliament. It was reportedly the date of his wife's birthday, with a "drinks party" held by Eleanor Laing, a Commons deputy speaker, in her office.[26] In December 2023, it was found that the allegations did not meet the threshold for a fixed penalty notice by the police.[27]
In December 2023, Jenkin was placed under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, for alleged "actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its Members generally".[28] On 26 March, Greenberg's investigation determined the allegations would not be upheld.[29]
9th term (2024-)
At the 2024 general election, Jenkin was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 34.4% and a decreased majority of 1,162.[30]
In May 2009, Jenkin was reported by The Daily Telegraph to have used £50,000 in expenses to pay his sister-in-law rent on the property he uses as his constituency home. Jenkin said that he was just paying "an honest and reasonable rent" for the property.[31] On 27 October 2009, it was initially recommended that Bernard Jenkin pay back £63,250 by expenses auditor Sir Thomas Legg. This is the highest amount known to have been recommended after an audit of MPs' claims on second homes expenses. His father ultimately settled the bill for him.[32][33] This amount was reduced to £36,250 following an appeal.[34]
Jenkin married Anne Strutt in 1988 and has two sons. He is an occasional naturist,[38][39] and a long-time acquaintance of screenwriter Richard Curtis, who typically includes a character named 'Bernard' in everything he writes.[40]
Jenkin is the vice-president of the UK charity Combat Stress, which offers residential treatment to ex-servicemen and women suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. To mark his 50th birthday, he held a fundraising event in March 2009 which raised over £50,000 for the charity.[42]
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