Jacob Rees-Mogg
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Jacob William Rees-Mogg (born 24 May 1969) is a British Conservative Party
politician who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for North East Somerset
since the 2010 general election.
Rees-Mogg is the son of William Rees-Mogg
, a former editor of The Times
. He is married to the heiress Helena de Chair, with whom he has three children, two boys and one girl.
, before being educated at Eton
and subsequently read history at Trinity College, Oxford
, becoming president of the University Conservative Association.
wing of the Conservative Party
.
he was Tory candidate for the historically Labour seat of Central Fife
. He canvassed a largely working class neighbourhood in his Bentley
with his nanny
; he lost in the 1997 election, receiving 9% of the vote.
In 1999, when it was being rumoured that his received pronunciation
accent was working against his chances of being selected for a safe Tory seat, he was defended by letter writers to The Daily Telegraph
, one of whom claimed that "an overt form of intimidation exists, directed against anyone who dares to eschew the current, Americanised, mode of behaviour, speech and dress". Rees-Mogg himself stated (in The Sunday Times
, 23 May 1999) that "it is rather pathetic to fuss about accents too much", though he then went on to say that "John Prescott
's accent certainly stereotypes him as an oaf". He later told The Scotsman
(October 2001), "I gradually realised that whatever I happened to be speaking about, the number of voters in my favour dropped as soon as I opened my mouth."
Rees-Mogg stood for The Wrekin
in Shropshire
in 2001
, losing to the Labour
MP
Peter Bradley
, who later expressed his view that banning fox hunting
was, for him, a class
as well as a humane issue. Between 2005 and 2008 Rees-Mogg was the elected Chairman of the Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association.
He was one of the directors of the Roman Catholic Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth
in London
who were ordered to resign by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor in February 2008 after protracted arguments over the adoption of a tighter ethical code banning non-Catholic practices such as abortions and sex-change operations.
In March 2009, Rees-Mogg was forced to apologise to Trevor Kavanagh
, former political editor of The Sun
, after it was shown that a newsletter signed by Rees-Mogg had plagiarised sections of a Kavanagh article that had appeared in the newspaper over a month earlier.
He was, being the caricature of a "detached" and "other-wordly" Tory, described as Conservative leader "David Cameron
’s worst nightmare" by The Times
during the 2010 general election campaign. Rees-Mogg took North East Somerset with a majority of 4,914.
Rees-Mogg is rated as one of the Conservatives' most rebellious, eccentric and downright odd MPs.
(d.1995) and Lady Juliet Tadgell
(previously married to Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol
and jointly heir with the late Hon. Elizabeth-Anne Hastings to the Wentworth-Fitzwilliam Wentworth Woodhouse
, Malton
, and Coolattin estates). She was half-sister of Lord Nicholas Hervey
, who committed suicide in 1998. She has five remaining half-siblings from de Chair's prior marriages.
Part of the ecumenical marriage service in Canterbury Cathedral
included a Roman Catholic Tridentine Mass
conducted in Latin
by Dom Aidan Bellenger, the Abbot
of Downside Abbey
. The couple has since had a son, named Peter Theodore Alphege. "The first name is after Helena's grandfather
and the last name is that of a saint born in my constituency. Alphege was executed for not giving the Vikings enough Danegeld
, so he was the first anti-taxation martyr
", he told Daily Mail
reporter Richard Kay. Alphege was born in the village of Weston on the outskirts of Bath.
Rees-Mogg's youngest sister, the journalist Annunziata Rees-Mogg
, was also a Conservative parliamentary candidate in Somerset but failed to win her seat.
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 who has been 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 North East Somerset
North East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)
North East Somerset is a county constituency created by the Boundary Commission for England as the successor seat to the Wansdyke Parliamentary Seat. It came into being at the 2010 general election.- Boundaries :...
since the 2010 general election.
Rees-Mogg is the son of William Rees-Mogg
William Rees-Mogg
William Rees-Mogg, Baron Rees-Mogg is an English journalist and life peer.-Education:Rees-Mogg was educated at Clifton College Preparatory School in Bristol and Charterhouse School in Godalming, followed by Balliol College, Oxford...
, a former editor of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. He is married to the heiress Helena de Chair, with whom he has three children, two boys and one girl.
Early life
He grew up in SomersetSomerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, before being educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and subsequently read history at Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, becoming president of the University Conservative Association.
Career
He set up his own company, Somerset Capital Management in 2007. Previously he was in Global Emerging Markets at Lloyd George Management in London. Rees-Mogg is on the EuroscepticEuroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
wing 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...
.
Political career
Rees-Mogg has courted controversy during previous election campaigns. In 1997United 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 Tory candidate for the historically Labour seat of Central Fife
Central Fife (UK Parliament constituency)
Central Fife was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from February 1974 until 2005, when it was largely replaced by the new Glenrothes constituency, with a small portion joining the expanded North East Fife.It elected one Member...
. He canvassed a largely working class neighbourhood in his Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
with his nanny
Nanny
A nanny, childminder or child care provider, is an individual who provides care for one or more children in a family as a service...
; he lost in the 1997 election, receiving 9% of the vote.
In 1999, when it was being rumoured that his received pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
accent was working against his chances of being selected for a safe Tory seat, he was defended by letter writers to The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, one of whom claimed that "an overt form of intimidation exists, directed against anyone who dares to eschew the current, Americanised, mode of behaviour, speech and dress". Rees-Mogg himself stated (in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
, 23 May 1999) that "it is rather pathetic to fuss about accents too much", though he then went on to say that "John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
's accent certainly stereotypes him as an oaf". He later told The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
(October 2001), "I gradually realised that whatever I happened to be speaking about, the number of voters in my favour dropped as soon as I opened my mouth."
Rees-Mogg stood for The Wrekin
The Wrekin (UK Parliament constituency)
The Wrekin is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
in 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, losing to the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP
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,...
Peter Bradley
Peter Bradley
Peter Charles Stephen Bradley is an English Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for The Wrekin from the 1997 election until the 2005 election, when he lost his seat to Mark Pritchard of the Conservative Party....
, who later expressed his view that banning fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
was, for him, a class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
as well as a humane issue. Between 2005 and 2008 Rees-Mogg was the elected Chairman of the Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association.
He was one of the directors of the Roman Catholic Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth
Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth
The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth is an independent hospital in St John's Wood, London. It is informally known as "John & Lizzie's".It was founded in 1856 with a Roman Catholic affiliation and is a registered charity....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
who were ordered to resign by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor in February 2008 after protracted arguments over the adoption of a tighter ethical code banning non-Catholic practices such as abortions and sex-change operations.
In March 2009, Rees-Mogg was forced to apologise to Trevor Kavanagh
Trevor Kavanagh
Trevor Michael Thomas Kavanagh is a journalist and formerly the Political Editor of the Sun newspaper.Trevor Kavanagh was educated at Reigate Grammar School before leaving school at 17 to work for newspapers in Surrey and later Hereford. In 1965 he emigrated to Australia, working on several...
, former political editor of The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, after it was shown that a newsletter signed by Rees-Mogg had plagiarised sections of a Kavanagh article that had appeared in the newspaper over a month earlier.
He was, being the caricature of a "detached" and "other-wordly" Tory, described as Conservative leader "David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
’s worst nightmare" by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
during the 2010 general election campaign. Rees-Mogg took North East Somerset with a majority of 4,914.
Rees-Mogg is rated as one of the Conservatives' most rebellious, eccentric and downright odd MPs.
Family
In January 2007 Rees-Mogg married Helena de Chair, an heiress and writer on a trade magazine for the oil industry. She is the daughter of Somerset de ChairSomerset de Chair
Somerset Struben de Chair DSC was a British author, politician and poet.-Early and personal life:Younger son of Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair, KCB, KCMG, MVO...
(d.1995) and Lady Juliet Tadgell
Lady Juliet Tadgell
Lady Juliet Tadgell , previously the Marchioness of Bristol, is a British heiress, race horse breeder and landowner...
(previously married to Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol
Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol
Victor Frederick Cochrane Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol , was a British aristocrat and businessman. He is notable for having served a jail term for jewel theft...
and jointly heir with the late Hon. Elizabeth-Anne Hastings to the Wentworth-Fitzwilliam Wentworth Woodhouse
Wentworth Woodhouse
Wentworth Woodhouse is a Grade I listed country house near the village of Wentworth, in the vicinity of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. "One of the great Whig political palaces", its East Front, long, is the longest country house façade in Europe. The house includes 365 rooms and covers an...
, Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
, and Coolattin estates). She was half-sister of Lord Nicholas Hervey
Lord Nicholas Hervey
Lord Frederick William Charles Nicholas Wentworth Hervey was the only child born to the 6th Marquess of Bristol by his second wife Lord Frederick William Charles Nicholas Wentworth Hervey (26 November 1961–26 January 1998) was the only child born to the 6th Marquess of Bristol by his second...
, who committed suicide in 1998. She has five remaining half-siblings from de Chair's prior marriages.
Part of the ecumenical marriage service in Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
included a Roman Catholic Tridentine Mass
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
conducted in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
by Dom Aidan Bellenger, the Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Downside Abbey
Downside Abbey
The Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery and the Senior House of the English Benedictine Congregation. One of its main apostolates is a school for children aged nine to eighteen...
. The couple has since had a son, named Peter Theodore Alphege. "The first name is after Helena's grandfather
Peter Wentworth-FitzWilliam, 8th Earl FitzWilliam
William Henry Lawrence Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, DSO , styled Viscount Milton before 1943, was a British soldier and aristocrat.-Biography:...
and the last name is that of a saint born in my constituency. Alphege was executed for not giving the Vikings enough Danegeld
Danegeld
The Danegeld was a tax raised to pay tribute to the Viking raiders to save a land from being ravaged. It was called the geld or gafol in eleventh-century sources; the term Danegeld did not appear until the early twelfth century...
, so he was the first anti-taxation martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
", he told Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
reporter
Rees-Mogg's youngest sister, the journalist Annunziata Rees-Mogg
Annunziata Rees-Mogg
Annunziata Mary Glanville née Rees-Mogg is an English freelance journalist, focusing on finance, economics, and European politics....
, was also a Conservative parliamentary candidate in Somerset but failed to win her seat.
External links
- Jacob Rees-Mogg MP Official website
- Jacob Rees Mogg MP Conservative Party profile
- North East Somerset Conservatives
- Paul Brason, Portrait Artist Jacob Rees-Mogg portrait in the collection of Eton College