Sir Bernard Christison Jenkin is a British Conservative politician serving as Chairman of the Liaison Committee since 2020, and has served as Member of Parliament for Harwich and North Essex since 2010. He was first elected to represent Colchester North in the 1992 general election, and went on to represent North Essex before the current Harwich and North Essex constituency was created. He was elected Chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee in May 2010. He was Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, and had responsibility for candidates until 7 November 2006 when this role was given to John Maples. Jenkin's Deputy chairman role came to an end when, during a cabinet reshuffle, he was offered another frontbench position, which he declined, reportedly saying to David Cameron that only a return to the shadow cabinet would interest him. He is a long-standing critic of the European Union, believing that the European Union undermines the United Kingdom's national sovereignty, and he was one of the Maastricht Rebels during the premiership of John Major. In the 2016 EU Referendum, he supported Brexit and since 2017 has been one of the most vocal supporters of the Eurosceptic pressure group Leave Means Leave. He is in favour of marriage equality and was nominated for a Stonewall award in 2013. The environment is one of his main policy concerns: The Climate Coalition awarded him the Green Heart Hero Award for his eco-friendly lifestyle choices. In 2018, he was awarded with a knighthood honouring his political and public service.
Declaring that he wanted to 'illustrate that people in the south-east haven't forgotten about Scotland', Jenkin stood for election in Glasgow Central in the 1987 general election. At the 1992 general election he was elected as Member of Parliament for Colchester North. When that constituency was abolished for the 1997 general election, he was returned to the House of Commons for the newly-re-established North Essex constituency. In John Major's 1992–1997 government, Jenkin was one of the 'Maastricht Rebels' who defied the party whip to oppose the Maastricht Treaty. William Hague appointed him Shadow Minister for Transport. He has also served as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence under Iain Duncan Smith and as Shadow Regions Secretary for Michael Howard. He has also been Shadow Energy Minister. In the 2010 Parliament Jenkin chaired the Public Affairs Committee. In 2006, Jenkin used racial descriptor "coloured" when referring to a British AsianConservative A-List candidate Ali Miraj. In January 2014, Jenkin drafted a letter calling for prime minister David Cameron to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU to give the House of Commons powers to veto EU legislation, which was ultimately signed by 95 MPs, and reportedly backed by another six. Following the Scottish Independence Referendum and promises made to further devolve powers to Scotland Jenkin called for the creation of an "English First Minister" and for departments responsible for policy that applied only in England to be accountable only to the English MPs. Jenkin, who gained a reputation as a critic of the Coalition government, also led calls to drop the House of Lords Reform Bill 2012. Jenkin voted in favour of same sex marriage in 2013 "as a matter of principle", whilst acknowledging the decision to hold the debate caused much "political unhappiness". Following the 2015 general election, he was returned unopposed as the chairman of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee. In September 2019, Jenkins scrutinised the House of Commons speakerJohn Bercow, stating that he was "irretrievably politicised and radicalised". This comment came after Bercow made a speech warning Boris Johnson that "the only form of Brexit which we will have, whenever that might be, will be a Brexit that the House of Commons has explicitly endorsed".
Expenses claims
In May 2009, Jenkin was reported by The Daily Telegraph to have used £50,000 in expenses to pay his sister-in-law rent on the property he uses as his constituency home. Jenkin claimed that he was just paying "an honest and reasonable rent" for the property. On 27 October 2009, it was initially recommended that Bernard Jenkin pay back £63,250 by expenses auditor Sir Thomas Legg. This is the highest amount known to have been recommended after an audit of MPs' claims on second homes expenses. This amount was reduced to £36,250 following an appeal.
Jenkin is the Vice-President of the UK charity Combat Stress, which offers residential treatment to ex-servicemen and women suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. To mark his 50th birthday, he held a fundraising event in March 2009 which raised over £50,000 for the charity.
Jenkin married Anne Strutt in 1988 and has two sons. He is an occasional naturist, and a long-time acquaintance of screenwriter Richard Curtis, who typically includes a character named 'Bernard' in everything he writes.
