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===Controversies===
===Controversies===
====Coronavirus lockdown controversy====
====Coronavirus lockdown controversy====
In April 2020, despite Jenrick repeatedly urging the public at televised press briefings to stay at home during the lockdown to curb the spread of [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|coronavirus]], it was claimed on the front page of the ''[[Daily Mail]]'', dated 10 April 2020, that he had twice flouted government restrictions after they were announced first by travelling 150 miles from London to a second home in [[Herefordshire]], [[Eye Manor]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/interview-with-robert-jenrick-mp-2018-4|title=The UK Treasury's Robert Jenrick talks to Business Insider about inequality, productivity and GDP growth in the UK|first=Jim|last=Edwards|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=10 April 2020}}</ref> where he was now living with his family, and then by travelling 40 miles to see his parents near [[Ludlow]], [[Shropshire]]. He was accused of hypocrisy. Sources close to the minister defended the latter trip by saying that he was delivering food and medication, and did not enter the house.<ref name=bbc-20200410>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-52239171 |title=Newspaper headlines: 'So much for lockdown, minister!' |work=BBC News |date=10 April 2020 |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref> However, there appears not to have been any official Government statement about Jenrick's original journey to Herefordshire; the Daily Mail quoted Jenrick as justifying it on the basis that he and his family "considered" Eye Manor to be their "family home".
In April 2020, despite Jenrick repeatedly urging the public at televised press briefings to stay at home during the lockdown to curb the spread of [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|coronavirus]], it was claimed on the front page of the ''[[Daily Mail]]'', dated 10 April 2020, that he had twice flouted government restrictions after they were announced first by travelling 150 miles from London to a second home in [[Herefordshire]], [[Eye Manor]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/interview-with-robert-jenrick-mp-2018-4|title=The UK Treasury's Robert Jenrick talks to Business Insider about inequality, productivity and GDP growth in the UK|first=Jim|last=Edwards|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=10 April 2020}}</ref> where he was now living with his family, and then by travelling 40 miles to see his parents near [[Ludlow]], [[Shropshire]]. He was accused of hypocrisy. Sources close to the minister defended the latter trip by saying that he was delivering food and medication, and did not enter the house.<ref name=bbc-20200410>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-52239171 |title=Newspaper headlines: 'So much for lockdown, minister!' |work=BBC News |date=10 April 2020 |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref>


He had previously written an article for the ''[[Mail on Sunday]]'' arguing that rather than relatives travelling, local communities should help out.<ref name="coronovirusvisit2">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/09/cabinet-minister-robert-jenrick-visited-his-parents-during-covid-19-lockdown|title=Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick visited his parents during Covid-19 lockdown|last=Halliday|first=Josh|date=9 April 2020|accessdate=9 April 2020|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="coronovirusvisit3">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-robert-jenrick-housing-secretary-social-distancing-guidance-isolation-medicine-a9458716.html|title=Housing secretary defends visiting parents’ home despite social distancing guidance|last=Wood|first=Vincent|date=9 April 2020|accessdate=9 April 2020|work=The Independent}}</ref>
He had previously written an article for the ''[[Mail on Sunday]]'' arguing that rather than relatives travelling, local communities should help out.<ref name="coronovirusvisit2">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/09/cabinet-minister-robert-jenrick-visited-his-parents-during-covid-19-lockdown|title=Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick visited his parents during Covid-19 lockdown|last=Halliday|first=Josh|date=9 April 2020|accessdate=9 April 2020|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="coronovirusvisit3">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-robert-jenrick-housing-secretary-social-distancing-guidance-isolation-medicine-a9458716.html|title=Housing secretary defends visiting parents’ home despite social distancing guidance|last=Wood|first=Vincent|date=9 April 2020|accessdate=9 April 2020|work=The Independent}}</ref>

Revision as of 01:06, 20 June 2020

The Right Honourable
Robert Jenrick
MP
Jenrick in 2017
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 July 2019
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byJames Brokenshire
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
In office
9 January 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byAndrew Jones
Succeeded bySimon Clarke
Member of Parliament
for Newark
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 June 2014
Preceded byPatrick Mercer
Majority21,816 (39.8%)
Personal details
Born (1982-01-09) 9 January 1982 (age 42)
Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseMichal Jenrick
Children3
Alma materSt John's College, Cambridge
Websitewww.robertjenrick.com

Robert Edward Jenrick (born 9 January 1982) is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government since 2019. He has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Newark since 2014.

He was made Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on 9 January 2018 by Trevor Longhurst before which he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Michael Gove as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary. From 2018 to 2019, he was the youngest male minister in the government of Prime Minister Theresa May. Jenrick was appointed Communities Secretary by Boris Johnson in July 2019.

Early life and education

Jenrick was born in Wolverhampton in 1982. He grew up in Shropshire near the town of Ludlow, as well as in Herefordshire.[1]

Jenrick attended Wolverhampton Grammar School before reading history at St John's College, Cambridge, graduating in 2003.[2] He was news editor at student newspaper Varsity in 2001.[3] He was Thouron Fellow in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania from 2003–2004. He subsequently studied law, gaining a graduate diploma in law from The College of Law in 2005 and completing a legal practice course at BPP Law School in 2006.

Law and business career

Jenrick qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and practised corporate law with Skadden Arps and Sullivan & Cromwell in London and Moscow. Immediately prior to being elected to parliament in 2014 Jenrick was a Director of Christie's, the auction house.[4]

Political career

At the general election of 2010, Jenrick contested Newcastle-under-Lyme for the Conservative Party, achieving at 9.4% one of the largest swings to the Conservatives, but falling short of the incumbent, Paul Farrelly of the Labour Party, by 1,582 votes.[5]

In November 2013, Jenrick was selected to contest the parliamentary constituency of Newark, where the sitting member had resigned following a cash for lobbying scandal.[4] At a by-election held on 5 June 2014, he retained the seat with a reduced majority of 7,403.[6] Jenrick became the first Conservative candidate to win a by-election in government since William Hague in Richmond in 1989 and achieved the strongest peacetime by-election result for the Conservative Party in government for over 40 years.

During the campaign, Jenrick was attacked by UKIP's candidate, Roger Helmer, for owning several properties. Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, defended Jenrick, insisting that being self-made and successful was nothing to be ashamed of.[7]

In February 2016, Channel 4 News alleged overspending in Jenrick's 2014 by-election victory.[8] Jenrick said he was confident his election expenses had been compiled in compliance with the law.[9] Nottinghamshire Police took no action as too much time had passed since the alleged offence.[9] In March 2017, the Electoral Commission released a report on their investigation into spending allegations at a number of elections. They concluded that the Conservative Party had contravened the spending rules three times (the 2014 Newark by-election being one of those times) and committed offences twice, and accordingly fined the party £70,000.[10][11]

Early parliamentary career

Shortly after his election in 2014, Jenrick was elected to the Health and Social Care Select Committee.

In February 2015, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Employment Minister, Esther McVey.

Jenrick was re-elected in the 2015 general election with a majority of 18,474, or 57% of the vote, the largest majority in the history of the constituency and the largest swing of any Conservative MP in that election.[citation needed]

In May 2015, he was appointed PPS to the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Michael Gove, and continued to fulfil the role under Gove's successor, Liz Truss from July 2016.

Following the 2017 general election, he was appointed PPS to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd.

In July 2017, he was elected by fellow MPs to be their representative on the Board of the Conservative Party.

He was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury by Prime Minister Theresa May in her reshuffle of January 2018. He was the youngest minister in the government.[citation needed]

Policy interests

Jenrick was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.[12] However, he was one of 188 MPs to vote to leave the EU as planned on 29 March 2019, without a deal, voting against the government motion to extend the Article 50 process.[citation needed] Jenrick has been Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Trade & Investment and Vice Chairman of the Groups on China and France.

As Chairman of the APPG for the Prevention of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity, he along with Home Secretary Amber Rudd met Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist who was in 2018 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, to discuss how the UK could help with the reconstruction of Yazidi areas.[13]

Jenrick is a member of the Parliamentary Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) group.[14][15] In June 2019, he represented the government at the Israel-Palestine peace initiative, led by Jared Kushner.[16]

In July 2019, he said: "I want tackling antisemitism and ensuring that the Jewish community feels protected and respected to be one of my priorities as secretary of state", adding about his visit to Auschwitz concentration camp, "It had a huge impact on me and in particular because my wife is the daughter of Holocaust survivors from modern day Poland and the Ukraine."[17] In September 2019, he said: "I will use my position as Secretary of State to write to all universities and local authorities to insist that they adopt the IHRA definition at the earliest opportunity...and use it when considering matters such as disciplinary procedures. Failure to act in this regard is unacceptable."[18] Jenrick has said his connection to the Jewish community forms "a very important and integral part of my life".[17]

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

After Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election, Jenrick was appointed as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. He assumed office as Communities Secretary on 24 July 2019 and became the youngest member of Johnson's cabinet.[19]

His response to the national crisis with regard to housing safety following the Grenfell Tower fire was criticised as demonstrating a misunderstanding of the issue, alongside his reluctance to engage with representatives of the many thousands of British citizens whose lives remained at risk.[20] His approach, which was said to include "naming and shaming", was seen by some as lacking robustness and ineffective. Jenrick was criticised as having failed to deliver on promises and has take concrete action.[21] There were eight significant fires after Grenfell, including the Bolton Cube. Thousands of affected residents continued to face financial burdens and their lives remained at risk. This stood in contrast to some more effective measures put in place by the Australian Government to keep their citizens safe.[22] In February 2020, in a survey of leaseholders from 117 housing developments by the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, a charity that supports leaseholders, 90 per cent of respondents said the government's response to the 'cladding crisis' had been "no help at all".[23]

Controversies

Coronavirus lockdown controversy

In April 2020, despite Jenrick repeatedly urging the public at televised press briefings to stay at home during the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, it was claimed on the front page of the Daily Mail, dated 10 April 2020, that he had twice flouted government restrictions after they were announced first by travelling 150 miles from London to a second home in Herefordshire, Eye Manor,[24] where he was now living with his family, and then by travelling 40 miles to see his parents near Ludlow, Shropshire. He was accused of hypocrisy. Sources close to the minister defended the latter trip by saying that he was delivering food and medication, and did not enter the house.[25]

He had previously written an article for the Mail on Sunday arguing that rather than relatives travelling, local communities should help out.[26][27]

The Daily Telegraph disclosed that Jenrick's primary residence was in fact his £2.5 million townhouse in Central London, where his wife worked and his three children attended school. Senior MPs called for Jenrick to consider his position, given his high-profile role in Downing Street's campaign to keep the British public inside during the outbreak, including the ban on travelling to second homes.[28]

Unlawful approval of housing development

In May 2020, Jenrick accepted that his approval of a £1 billion luxury housing development on Westferry Road, Isle of Dogs had been unlawful. The 1,500-home development was proposed by Richard Desmond, a Conservative Party donor and owner of Northern & Shell. The government's planning inspector had previously advised against the scheme, as it delivered an inadequate amount of affordable housing and as the height of the tower would be detrimental to the character of the area.[29] However, Jenrick approved the scheme on 14 January, knowing that an approval by that date would enable Richard Desmond to avoid having to pay a council-imposed infrastructure levy of £40 million, which could have been used for funding schools and health clinics.[30] Tower Hamlets council have pursued legal action against Jenrick, arguing that his decision showed bias towards Desmond. Jenrick has maintained that although the decision was unlawful, there was no "actual bias".[31] Desmond, whose company had donated to the Conservative Party in 2017,[30] made a further personal donation to the party shortly after the approval was given. Andrew Wood, the leader of the Conservative group on Tower Hamlets Council, resigned because of his concerns over the property deal.[32] The planning decision will now be re-determined by a different government minister. In conceding the move did show "apparent bias", Jenrick effectively blocked the judicial review, which has prevented documents between his department and the developer from being made public.[33] Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs said: "We may never know what emails and memos the secretary of state received before making his decision and what influence they had, but his reluctance to disclose them speaks volumes".[34] It was reported that the Metropolitan Police are "assessing" "an allegation" about the housing secretary, which could be linked to a complaint made by former Labour minister Andrew Adonis.[35]

Other

The article about Jenrick on Wikipedia was one of a number edited in May 2015 by computers owned by Parliament in what The Daily Telegraph described as "a deliberate attempt to hide embarrassing information from the electorate".[36]

In January 2020, Jenrick spoke at the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary reception and told the audience that he would "look forward to the day" when Britain's embassy in Israel will be "moved to Jerusalem", adding that "as Housing Secretary I don't like land-banking. I want us to build that embassy". The British government had not indicated it would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as the US did in 2018.[37]

In April 2020, The Sunday Times revealed that Jenrick had charged taxpayers more than £100,000 for "a third home" in his constituency of Newark, that he appears to use only rarely.[38]

Personal life

Jenrick is married to Michal Berkner, an Israeli-born corporate lawyer. They have three daughters, whom they are bringing up in the Jewish faith.[1][39][18]

Jenrick owns two £2m homes in London, one of which is a £2.5m townhouse less than a mile from the Houses of Parliament. He also owns Eye Manor, a Grade I listed building in Herefordshire which he purchased for £1.1 million in 2009.[40][41] His constituency of Newark is 150 miles (240 km) from his 'family home' in Herefordshire.[42] He rents a £2,000-a-month property in his Newark constituency,[38] which he bills to the taxpayer.[43][44]

References

  1. ^ a b "About Robert". Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Newark by-election". UK Polling Report. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Varsity" (PDF). 11 May 2001. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Patrick Mercer lobbying claims: Tories select Newark candidate". Nottingham: BBC News. 2 November 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  5. ^ "Newcastle-under-Lyme". UK Polling Report. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  6. ^ "Conservatives see off UKIP challenge to win Newark by-election". BBC News. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  7. ^ Christopher Hope (3 June 2014). "Newark by-election descends into class warfare over candidates fortunes". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Conservatives appear to have overspent on three by-elections". Channel 4 News. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  9. ^ a b "'Too late' to investigate Newark by-election spending claims". Nottingham: BBC News. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  10. ^ Ed Howker and Guy Basnett (23 March 2017). "The inside story of the Tory election scandal". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Investigation in respect of the Conservative and Unionist Party campaign spending returns for the 2014 European Parliamentary Election, and 2015 UK Parliamentary General Election, and in respect of the 2014 parliamentary by-elections in Clacton, Newark and Rochester and Strood" (PDF). The Electoral Commission. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  12. ^ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  13. ^ "Nadia met British Home Secretary Amber Rudd MP and MP Robert Jenrick". Nadia's Initiative.
  14. ^ "robert jenrick | Search Results". CFI. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  15. ^ "TheyWorkForYou". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  16. ^ Churcher, Dan (26 June 2019). "MP Robert Jenrick represents the UK Government in President Trump's Israel-Palestine peace initiative". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  17. ^ a b Rashty, Sandy (26 July 2019). "New communities secretary enjoys pre-Shabbat walkabout in Golders Green". Jewish News. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  18. ^ a b Harpin, Lee (15 September 2019). "Communities minister Robert Jenrick vows to tackle parts of local Government 'corrupted' by antisemitism". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  19. ^ "Who's who in Boris Johnson's first cabinet". The Guardian.
  20. ^ "Jenrick must speak to affected residents if he wants to solve the cladding crisis". Inside Housing.
  21. ^ Rowland, Miles (13 February 2020). "MPs call for cladding fund extension". constructionnews.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Insight - The cladding crisis Down Under: what we can learn from the response to Grenfell in Australia". Inside Housing.
  23. ^ George Steer (21 February 2020). "Predatory investors exploit leaseholders' cladding dilemma". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  24. ^ Edwards, Jim. "The UK Treasury's Robert Jenrick talks to Business Insider about inequality, productivity and GDP growth in the UK". Business Insider. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  25. ^ "Newspaper headlines: 'So much for lockdown, minister!'". BBC News. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  26. ^ Halliday, Josh (9 April 2020). "Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick visited his parents during Covid-19 lockdown". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  27. ^ Wood, Vincent (9 April 2020). "Housing secretary defends visiting parents' home despite social distancing guidance". The Independent. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  28. ^ Gardner, Bill (10 April 2020). "Robert Jenrick under pressure to quit as claim that mansion is family home is called 'codswallop'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  29. ^ "Minister accepts Isle of Dogs housing development 'was unlawful'". BBC News. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ a b "Former Tory donor's housing project 'unlawfully approved to avoid £40m hit'". The Guardian. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ "Westferry Printworks: Housing minister Robert Jenrick denies bias". Docklands & East London Advertiser. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ "Robert Jenrick urged to release documents in planning row". 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. ^ "Robert Jenrick To Face Questions In Parliament Over Approval For Richard Desmond Housing Plan". HuffPost. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ "Council forces government to concede illegality in making decision on controversial Westferry Printworks scheme". Tower Hamlets Council. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  35. ^ "Met Police Called In After Robert Jenrick Approves Tory Donor's £1bn Housing Plan". HuffPost. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  36. ^ Riley-Smith, Ben (26 May 2015). "Expenses and sex scandal deleted from MPs' Wikipedia pages by computers inside Parliament". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  37. ^ "'I look forward to Britain's Israel embassy moving to Jerusalem,' says Minister Robert Jenrick". 29 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ^ a b "Robert Jenrick claimed £100,000 expenses for 'third home'". 12 April 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ^ Harpin, Lee (26 July 2019). "New Communities Secretary visits Golders Green". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  40. ^ Edwards, Jim. "The UK Treasury's Robert Jenrick talks to Business Insider about inequality, productivity and GDP growth in the UK". Business Insider. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  41. ^ Milner, Leah (25 July 2019). "Who is the new housing secretary Robert Jenrick?". Mortgage Strategy. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  42. ^ McGuinness, Alan (10 April 2020). "Coronavirus: Downing Street backs minister who travelled 150 miles to 'family home' during lockdown". Sky News. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  43. ^ Merrifield, Ryan (10 April 2020). "Cabinet Minister Robert Jenrick 'breaks lockdown rules twice' by going to 'second home'". Mirror. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  44. ^ Hope, Christopher (9 April 2020). "Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick drives 150 miles to second home during coronavirus lockdown". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Newark
2014–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
2019–present 		Incumbent
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