Crispin Blunt
Encyclopedia
Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (born 15 July 1960) is a British Conservative Party
politician. He is the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Reigate constituency
in Surrey
, and since May 2010 he has been the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Prisons and Youth Justice within the Ministry of Justice.
He first entered the House of Commons at the 1997 general election
, when he replaced rebel Eurosceptic
MP George Gardiner
.
, one of three sons of English parents Adrienne (née Richardson) and Major-General Peter Blunt (18 August 1923 - 8 August 2003). He was educated at Wellington College, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, where he won the Queen's Medal
, gaining a Regular Commission
, before reading Politics
at University College, Durham
, the University of Durham between 1981 and 1984, where he was elected President of the Durham Union
in 1983 and graduated with a 2:1 degree. In 1991, he gained an MBA
at the Cranfield University
School of Management.
Blunt was commissioned as an Army Officer into the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
and served until 1990. During the 1980s, he was stationed in Cyprus
, Germany and the UK, serving as a Troop Leader, Regimental Operations Officer and Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron Commander. He resigned his commission as a Captain in 1990.
He contested his first Parliamentary seat at the 1992 general election
, as the Conservative Party
candidate in West Bromwich East. From 1991 to 1992, Blunt was a representative of the Forum of Private Business. In 1993, he was appointed as Special Adviser to Malcolm Rifkind
the then-Secretary of State for Defence
, and worked in the same capacity when Rifkind became Foreign Secretary between 1995 and 1997.
, Blunt was elected to Parliament
as Member for Reigate
in Surrey
, replacing the long-serving euro-sceptic MP George Gardiner
, who had been deselected by the local Conservative Party. Blunt and was subsequently appointed to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee
. In July 1997, he was elected as Secretary of the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Committee and the Conservative Middle East Council. In May 2000, he joined the House of Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee and in July 2003 he was elected Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council, a position he still occupies.
The new Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith
appointed him to the Opposition front bench as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
in September 2001. In July 2002, he was appointed as deputy to Tim Yeo
, Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
. On 1 May 2003 he resigned his position on the front bench saying that Duncan Smith was a "handicap" to the Conservatives. His decision to resign at this time, was taken in the expectation that the Conservative Party would make over 500 gains in local government seats, but that these were gained in spite of, rather than because of Iain Duncan Smith's leadership. Blunt timed his resignation so that it did not become public until after the polls closed but before the results were declared. The following day he was unanimously reselected by his local party as their prospective parliamentary candidate but he failed to persuade 25 of his fellow conservative MPs to call for a vote of confidence in May 2003 and he accepted that no challenge for the party leadership would be immediately forthcoming and retired to the back benches. In November 2003 the challenge came and Michael Howard
replaced Duncan Smith after a vote of no confidence.
He subsequently became a party whip
under Howard, but on 9 June 2005 took leave of absence to support the expected leadership bid of Sir Malcolm Rifkind. However, when Rifkind was knocked out of the leadership race of the Conservatives, Blunt returned to the whips' office and wrote to all Party members in his constituency asking for them to rank the remaining contenders in order of preference so he could best represent his constituents.
Blunt is a former joint chair of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding. The election of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition
into Government in 2010 saw Blunt gain a position as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice. His responsibilities include: Prisons and probation, Youth justice, Criminal law and sentencing policy and Criminal justice. He is also a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group.
. In August 2010, he announced that he was leaving his wife, in order "to come to terms with his homosexuality
". Blunt's voting record in Parliament had previously been broadly unsympathetic towards gay rights, though slightly more favourable when compared to most other Conservative, and several Labour, MPs.
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...
politician. He is the 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 the Reigate constituency
Reigate (UK Parliament constituency)
Reigate is a 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.-Boundaries:...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and since May 2010 he has been the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
for Prisons and Youth Justice within the Ministry of Justice.
He first entered the House of Commons at 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...
, when he replaced rebel Eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
MP George Gardiner
George Gardiner (politician)
Sir George Arthur Gardiner was a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician and journalist.- Early life :...
.
Early life and career
Blunt was born in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, one of three sons of English parents Adrienne (née Richardson) and Major-General Peter Blunt (18 August 1923 - 8 August 2003). He was educated at Wellington College, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, where he won the Queen's Medal
Queen's Medal
The Queen's Medal may refer to:*Queen's Medal for Shooting Excellence: the medal awarded to the winner of the British RASAAM and TASAAM Competition held annual at Bisley in the United Kingdom...
, gaining a Regular Commission
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
, before reading Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
at University College, Durham
University College, Durham
University College, commonly known as Castle, is a college of the University of Durham in England. Centred around Durham Castle on Palace Green, it was founded in 1832 and is the oldest of Durham's colleges. As with all of Durham's colleges, it is, independently of the University, a listed body...
, the University of Durham between 1981 and 1984, where he was elected President of the Durham Union
Durham Union Society
The Durham Union Society is a debating society founded in 1842 by the students of the Durham University. Commonly referred to as the "DUS" or "The Durham Union", it is the university's largest society with over 3,000 members...
in 1983 and graduated with a 2:1 degree. In 1991, he gained an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
at the Cranfield University
Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
School of Management.
Blunt was commissioned as an Army Officer into the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
The 13th/18th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-Formation:On 9 September 1922, the 13th/18th Hussars was formed by amalgamation of the 13th Hussars and the 18th Royal Hussars . In December 1935, it became known as the 13th/18th Royal Hussars ...
and served until 1990. During the 1980s, he was stationed in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Germany and the UK, serving as a Troop Leader, Regimental Operations Officer and Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron Commander. He resigned his commission as a Captain in 1990.
He contested his first Parliamentary seat 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...
, as 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...
candidate in West Bromwich East. From 1991 to 1992, Blunt was a representative of the Forum of Private Business. In 1993, he was appointed as Special Adviser to Malcolm Rifkind
Malcolm Rifkind
Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind KCMG QC MP is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Kensington. He served in various roles as a cabinet minister under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, including Secretary of State for Scotland , Defence Secretary and...
the then-Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
, and worked in the same capacity when Rifkind became Foreign Secretary between 1995 and 1997.
Member of Parliament
At the 1997 general electionUnited 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...
, Blunt was elected to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
as Member for Reigate
Reigate (UK Parliament constituency)
Reigate is a 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.-Boundaries:...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, replacing the long-serving euro-sceptic MP George Gardiner
George Gardiner (politician)
Sir George Arthur Gardiner was a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician and journalist.- Early life :...
, who had been deselected by the local Conservative Party. Blunt and was subsequently appointed to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee
Defence Select Committee
The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons, having been established in 1979. It oversees the operations of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the armed forces.-Membership:...
. In July 1997, he was elected as Secretary of the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Committee and the Conservative Middle East Council. In May 2000, he joined the House of Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee and in July 2003 he was elected Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council, a position he still occupies.
The new Conservative Party leader 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...
appointed him to the Opposition front bench as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in September 2001. In July 2002, he was appointed as deputy to Tim Yeo
Tim Yeo
Timothy Stephen Kenneth Yeo is an English Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for South Suffolk and the current Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.-Early life:...
, Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. Its secondary title is the President of the Board of Trade...
. On 1 May 2003 he resigned his position on the front bench saying that Duncan Smith was a "handicap" to the Conservatives. His decision to resign at this time, was taken in the expectation that the Conservative Party would make over 500 gains in local government seats, but that these were gained in spite of, rather than because of Iain Duncan Smith's leadership. Blunt timed his resignation so that it did not become public until after the polls closed but before the results were declared. The following day he was unanimously reselected by his local party as their prospective parliamentary candidate but he failed to persuade 25 of his fellow conservative MPs to call for a vote of confidence in May 2003 and he accepted that no challenge for the party leadership would be immediately forthcoming and retired to the back benches. In November 2003 the challenge came and 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...
replaced Duncan Smith after a vote of no confidence.
He subsequently became a 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...
under Howard, but on 9 June 2005 took leave of absence to support the expected leadership bid of Sir Malcolm Rifkind. However, when Rifkind was knocked out of the leadership race of the Conservatives, Blunt returned to the whips' office and wrote to all Party members in his constituency asking for them to rank the remaining contenders in order of preference so he could best represent his constituents.
Blunt is a former joint chair of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding. The election of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition
Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement
The Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement was a policy document drawn up following the 2010 general election in the United Kingdom...
into Government in 2010 saw Blunt gain a position as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice. His responsibilities include: Prisons and probation, Youth justice, Criminal law and sentencing policy and Criminal justice. He is also a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group.
Personal life
He married Victoria Jenkins in September 1990 in Kensington and they have a daughter (born March 1992) and son (born August 1994). His niece is Golden Globe-award winning actress Emily BluntEmily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is an English actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada , The Young Victoria , and The Adjustment Bureau . She has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two London Film Critics' Circle Awards, and one BAFTA Award...
. In August 2010, he announced that he was leaving his wife, in order "to come to terms with his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
". Blunt's voting record in Parliament had previously been broadly unsympathetic towards gay rights, though slightly more favourable when compared to most other Conservative, and several Labour, MPs.
External links
- Crispin Blunt MP official constituency website
- Resignation statement, 1 May 2003
- Profile: Crispin Blunt, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 2 May 2003 - Former Chairman Crispin Blunt MP Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC) profile