Simon Heffer
Encyclopedia
Simon James Heffer is a British
journalist
, columnist
and writer
.
in Chelmsford
and Corpus Christi College
, Cambridge
.
in October 2005 as a columnist and associate editor, after having served as a columnist for the Daily Mail
from 1995. Martin Newland
, the The Daily Telegraphs editor at the time, described the newspaper as Heffer's "natural journalistic home." He left the Telegraph in May 2011 to "pursue a role in journalism and broadcasting" and "complete a major literary project".
Heffer has written biographies of the historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle
, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams
, and of the politician Enoch Powell
(Like the Roman), which was described by The New Statesman as "a lucid and majestic tribute" to the politician.
In September 2010, Heffer published Strictly English: the Correct Way to Write... and Why it Matters, a guide to English grammar and usage. The book met with a mostly negative reception. Writing in the New Statesman, David Crystal
observed that, although "there are some excellent points here about ambiguity, honesty and the importance of clarity", "inconsistencies permeate the book",. In a review for Times Higher Education, Geoff Pullum described Heffer's claims about grammar as "staggeringly erroneous" and his approach as "intellectual abdication", concluding that "Heffer should be ashamed of himself, and Random House should be ashamed of this book."
In May 2011, it was revealed that he was leaving the Telegraph to "complete a major literary project". It has been speculated that his departure has been prompted by his constant attacks on David Cameron's government, of which the Telegraph is generally supportive.
Heffer has since rejoined the Daily Mail and edits a new online comment section, called RightMinds, of the paper's online edition. Introducing the new site, the Mail announced that 'MailOnline's new web community for politics, current affairs and controversy' would allow readers to 'have your say on all of the opinions expressed on the site. Every article and blog invites your comment'.
. When Benn's wife Caroline Benn
died of cancer in November 2000, Heffer wrote a tribute to Benn in the Daily Mail. He now is very critical of both the European Union
and New Labour.
Heffer is socially conservative. In 1999 he opposed the removal of hereditary peers from the House of Lords
. He supported the retention of Section 28
, opposed the equalisation of the age of consent and the liberalisation of laws on abortion and divorce. He has also written about the decline of tie-wearing among British men. In August 2002 Heffer blamed "liberal society" for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
In July 1995 he threatened to resign from the Daily Mail if it supported John Major
in the leadership contest. Like many right-wing Tory MPs, Heffer backed John Redwood
, though he preferred Michael Portillo
to be party leader. In late 1999 Heffer financially contributed to Neil Hamilton
's unsuccessful libel action against Mohammed Al-Fayed.
Heffer believes that Christianity
should have a strong role in shaping both the moral foundation of society and public policy, although he is personally an atheist.
When the Home Office
put Heffer on its Law and Order Task Force, left-wing politicians were concerned about the direction that criminal law reform might take, with human rights lawyer Baroness Kennedy
saying that the government "had not just lost the plot but was handing the plotting over to their most feared critics."
Heffer has written sympathetically and backed the United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP) and Nigel Farage
. and has joined calls from fellow journalist Peter Hitchens
for the Conservative Party
to be defeated and or abolished.
In 2008 Heffer condemned Ossetia
n conductor Valery Gergiev
as a "fool" for playing a benefit concert for those made homeless in the South Ossetian War
, calling this a "monstrous act" [Daily Telegraph, 23rd Aug 2008].
In 2008, Heffer called for the United Nations
to be strengthened, stating that: "If the UN ceases to be regarded by the larger powers as a institution to secure the peace of the world and justice therein, then that holds out all sorts of potential dangers." On 27 May 2009, Heffer threatened to stand as an independent against Sir Alan Haselhurst
, his local Conservative MP and a deputy speaker, unless Haselhurst paid back the £12,000 he claimed for work on his garden, as revealed in the Parliamentary expenses scandal. He is a scathing opponent of current British Prime Minister David Cameron
and 'moderniser' elements within the current Conservative Party
"Where Hitler failed by military means to conquer Europe, modern Germans are succeeding through trade and financial discipline. Welcome to the Fourth Reich." in:
"Rise of the Fourth Reich, how Germany is using the financial crisis to conquer Europe", Daily Mail, August 17, 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Education
Heffer was educated at King Edward VI Grammar SchoolKing Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford)
King Edward VI Grammar School, or KEGS, is a British grammar school located in the town of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It takes pupils between the ages of 11 and 18 — from Year 7 to 11 the pupils are exclusively male, although it becomes mixed in the sixth form .The present headteacher is Thomas...
in Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
and Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
Career
Heffer rejoined The Daily TelegraphThe 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...
in October 2005 as a columnist and associate editor, after having served as a columnist for the 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...
from 1995. Martin Newland
Martin Newland
Martin Newland is a British journalist and editor of The National, a national newspaper in Abu Dhabi. Previous to that, he was editor of The Daily Telegraph, a British broadsheet newspaper, from 2003–2005, replacing Charles Moore...
, the The Daily Telegraphs editor at the time, described the newspaper as Heffer's "natural journalistic home." He left the Telegraph in May 2011 to "pursue a role in journalism and broadcasting" and "complete a major literary project".
Heffer has written biographies of the historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
, and of the politician Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
(Like the Roman), which was described by The New Statesman as "a lucid and majestic tribute" to the politician.
In September 2010, Heffer published Strictly English: the Correct Way to Write... and Why it Matters, a guide to English grammar and usage. The book met with a mostly negative reception. Writing in the New Statesman, David Crystal
David Crystal
David Crystal OBE FLSW FBA is a linguist, academic and author.-Background and career:Crystal was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He grew up in Holyhead, North Wales, and Liverpool, England where he attended St Mary's College from 1951....
observed that, although "there are some excellent points here about ambiguity, honesty and the importance of clarity", "inconsistencies permeate the book",. In a review for Times Higher Education, Geoff Pullum described Heffer's claims about grammar as "staggeringly erroneous" and his approach as "intellectual abdication", concluding that "Heffer should be ashamed of himself, and Random House should be ashamed of this book."
In May 2011, it was revealed that he was leaving the Telegraph to "complete a major literary project". It has been speculated that his departure has been prompted by his constant attacks on David Cameron's government, of which the Telegraph is generally supportive.
Heffer has since rejoined the Daily Mail and edits a new online comment section, called RightMinds, of the paper's online edition. Introducing the new site, the Mail announced that 'MailOnline's new web community for politics, current affairs and controversy' would allow readers to 'have your say on all of the opinions expressed on the site. Every article and blog invites your comment'.
Politics
Heffer had a brief flirtation with the hard Left in his teenage years, but had abandoned his views by the time he went to university, although he admits he still has a lingering affection for several past figures of the Left, such as Tony BennTony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
. When Benn's wife Caroline Benn
Caroline Benn
Caroline Middleton DeCamp Benn , formerly Viscountess Stansgate, was an educationalist and writer, and wife of the British Labour politician Tony Benn ....
died of cancer in November 2000, Heffer wrote a tribute to Benn in the Daily Mail. He now is very critical of both the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and New Labour.
Heffer is socially conservative. In 1999 he opposed the removal of hereditary peers from the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. He supported the retention of Section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
, opposed the equalisation of the age of consent and the liberalisation of laws on abortion and divorce. He has also written about the decline of tie-wearing among British men. In August 2002 Heffer blamed "liberal society" for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
In July 1995 he threatened to resign from the Daily Mail if it supported John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in the leadership contest. Like many right-wing Tory MPs, Heffer backed John Redwood
John Redwood
John Alan Redwood is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wokingham. He was formerly Secretary of State for Wales in Prime Minister John Major's Cabinet and was an unsuccessful challenger for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1995...
, though he preferred Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
to be party leader. In late 1999 Heffer financially contributed to Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton (politician)
Mostyn Neil Hamilton is a former British barrister, teacher and Conservative MP. Since losing his seat in 1997 and leaving politics, Hamilton and his wife Christine have become media celebrities...
's unsuccessful libel action against Mohammed Al-Fayed.
Heffer believes that Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
should have a strong role in shaping both the moral foundation of society and public policy, although he is personally an atheist.
When the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
put Heffer on its Law and Order Task Force, left-wing politicians were concerned about the direction that criminal law reform might take, with human rights lawyer Baroness Kennedy
Helena Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws
Helena Ann Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws QC, FRSA, is a British barrister, broadcaster, and Labour member of the House of Lords. She is a former chair of the Human Genetics Commission, which advises the UK government on ethical, social, and legal issues arising from developments in...
saying that the government "had not just lost the plot but was handing the plotting over to their most feared critics."
Heffer has written sympathetically and backed the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP) and Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage
Nigel Paul Farage MEP , a position he previously held from September 2006 to November 2009. He is a current Member of the European Parliament for South East England and co-chairs the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy group....
. and has joined calls from fellow journalist Peter Hitchens
Peter Hitchens
Peter Jonathan Hitchens is an award-winning British columnist and author, noted for his traditionalist conservative stance. He has published five books, including The Abolition of Britain, A Brief History of Crime, The Broken Compass and most recently The Rage Against God. Hitchens writes for...
for 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...
to be defeated and or abolished.
In 2008 Heffer condemned Ossetia
Ossetia
Ossetia Ossetic: Ир, Ирыстон Ir, Iryston; Russian: Осетия, Osetiya; Georgian: ოსეთი, Oset'i) is an ethnolinguistic region located on both sides of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, largely inhabited by the Ossetians. The Ossetian language is part of the Eastern Iranian branch of the Indo-European...
n conductor Valery Gergiev
Valery Gergiev
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.- Early life :Gergiev,...
as a "fool" for playing a benefit concert for those made homeless in the South Ossetian War
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, calling this a "monstrous act" [Daily Telegraph, 23rd Aug 2008].
In 2008, Heffer called for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to be strengthened, stating that: "If the UN ceases to be regarded by the larger powers as a institution to secure the peace of the world and justice therein, then that holds out all sorts of potential dangers." On 27 May 2009, Heffer threatened to stand as an independent against Sir Alan Haselhurst
Alan Haselhurst
Sir Alan Gordon Barraclough Haselhurst is a British Conservative politician who is the Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden and was Chairman of Ways and Means from 14 May 1997 to 8 June 2010.-Early life, education and career:...
, his local Conservative MP and a deputy speaker, unless Haselhurst paid back the £12,000 he claimed for work on his garden, as revealed in the Parliamentary expenses scandal. He is a scathing opponent of current British Prime Minister 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 ....
and 'moderniser' elements within the current Conservative Party
Quotations
- "Portugal has revealed itself to be little more than a banana republicBanana republicIn political science, the pejorative term Banana Republic denotes a politically unstable country dependent upon limited primary productions , which is ruled by a plutocracy, a small, self-elected, wealthy group who exploit the country by means of a politico-economic oligarchy...
through the handling of this case. Whether you have small children or not, you would be mad even to think of having a holiday there." Simon Heffer writing in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
about the case of Madeleine McCannDisappearance of Madeleine McCannMadeleine McCann disappeared on the evening of Thursday, 3 May 2007. She was on holiday with her parents and twin siblings in the Algarve region of Portugal. The British girl went missing from an apartment, in the central area of the resort of Praia da Luz, a few days before her fourth...
, January 2008.
- "The evil that drug dealers do cannot be adequately punished under our present law; I would take a leaf out of China's book, and have them taken out and shot in the back of the head. That isn't going to happen. But using the laws we do have more effectively, applying them with zero tolerance, and making junkies pay - literally - for the damage they do to society would be a start. I fear, though, that it is already too late." Simon Heffer writing in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
about drug policy, January 2008.
- "If the Government wishes to prime the economy, it should bulldoze the Norris GreenNorris GreenNorris Green is a large housing estate and council ward in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 17,784.-History:...
estate in LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, where the murderer and his gang live, and split up the gang by redistributing them around the country, preferably to remote islands. Until we stop paying people to be an underclass, we'll have an underclass." Simon Heffer writing in The Daily Telegraph about the case of the murder of Rhys JonesMurder of Rhys JonesThe murder of Rhys Milford Jones occurred in Liverpool, England, when he was shot in the back. An 18-year-old youth, Sean Mercer, went on trial on 2 October 2008 and was convicted of murder on 16 December 2008....
, February 2009.
"Where Hitler failed by military means to conquer Europe, modern Germans are succeeding through trade and financial discipline. Welcome to the Fourth Reich." in:
"Rise of the Fourth Reich, how Germany is using the financial crisis to conquer Europe", Daily Mail, August 17, 2011.
Publications
- Heffer, Simon, & Charles Moore (editors), A Tory Seer: The Selected Journalism of T.E. Utley, London, 1989, ISBN 0-241-12728-9
- Heffer, Simon, Moral Desperado: A Life of Thomas Carlyle, London, 1995.
- Heffer, Simon, Power and Place: The Political Consequences of King Edward VII, London, 1998.
- Heffer, Simon, Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell, London, 1998. ISBN 0-297-84286-2
- Heffer, Simon, "Nor Shall My Sword: The Reinvention of England", London, 1999.
- Heffer, Simon, Vaughan Williams, London, 2000. ISBN 0-297-64398-3
- Heffer, Simon: Strictly English : the correct way to write ... and why it matters, London : Rh Books, 2010, ISBN 978-1-847-94630-0