Robert Jenrick

Robert Jenrick MP
File:Robert Jenrick MP.jpg
Member of Parliament for Newark
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 June 2014
Preceded by	Patrick Mercer
Majority	18,474 (35.3%)
Personal details
Born	(1982-01-09) 9 January 1982
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Michal Jenrick
Children	3
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge
Website	www.robertjenrick.com

Robert Edward Jenrick (born 9 January 1982) is an English Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newark since 2014.

Education

Jenrick attended Wolverhampton Grammar School before reading History at St John's College, Cambridge, where he gained a first class degree in 2003. 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.

Career

Jenrick qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and practised business law with the leading international law firms, Skadden Arps and Sullivan & Cromwell in London and Moscow, before pursuing a management career. Immediately prior to being elected to parliament in 2014 Jenrick was a Director of Christie's, the art business where he held a series of senior commercial roles, lastly as an International Managing Director, managing a division of the company.

At the general election of 2010, he contested Newcastle-under-Lyme for the Conservative Party, achieving one of the largest swings to the Conservatives in the UK, adding 9.4 per cent to the party's vote, but falling short of incumbent, Paul Farrelly of the Labour Party by 1,582 votes.

In November 2013, Jenrick was selected as his party's prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservative stronghold of Newark, where the sitting Conservative member had left the party. At a by-election held on 5 June 2014, he regained the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 7,403. Jenrick became the first Conservative candidate to win a by-election in Government since the election of William Hague in the Richmond by-election in 1989 and achieved the strongest peacetime by-election result for the Conservative Party in government for over 40 years.

Shortly after his election, Jenrick was elected to the House of Commons Health Committee.

In October 2014 Jenrick was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Parliamentary-under-Secretary for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd and in February 2015 he was appointed PPS to the Employment Minister, Esther McVey.

Robert Jenrick was re-elected in the May 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.

In May 2015, Robert Jenrick was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Michael Gove.

In February 2016, Channel 4 News broadcast a story alleging overspending in Jenrick's 2014 by-election victory. Nottinghamshire Police took no action on these claims as too much time had passed since the alleged offence.

Property

During the Newark by-election campaign, Jenrick was attacked in a personal campaign 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.

The Jenricks bought the Grade I listed Eye Manor in Eye, Herefordshire, for £1.1  million in 2009. They also own a £2.5 million house in Vincent Square, Westminster, and a £2.1 million flat in Marylebone, as well as renting a property in Southwell, Newark.

External links

• Official website
• Profile at the Conservative Party
• Profile at the Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Voting record at Public Whip

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Patrick Mercer	Member of Parliament for Newark 2014–present	Incumbent