History of Julian Lewis in Timeline
Sir Julian Murray Lewis is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Forest East since 1997. In 2020, he succeeded Dominic Grieve as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). Before entering politics, Lewis earned a degree in history from the University of Oxford and served in the Territorial Army. He also worked as a financial analyst.
15 July 2020: Elected Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee
On 15 July 2020, Julian Lewis was elected as the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament with the support of opposition MPs, defeating Chris Grayling. Despite the victory, Lewis had the Conservative Party whip removed for allegedly collaborating with opposition MPs. He defended his actions, stating he did not commit to voting for any particular candidate as per the 2013 Justice and Security Act.
September 1951: Birth of Julian Lewis
Julian Lewis was born into a Jewish family in Swansea in September 1951, the son of a tailor and designer.
June 1966: Television Top of the Form
In June 1966, Julian Lewis competed in the school team for Television Top of the Form, representing Dynevor Grammar School.
1976: Infiltration of Newham North East Constituency Labour Party
From 1976 until early 1978, Julian Lewis posed as a Labour Party moderate and briefly gained control of Newham North East Constituency Labour Party in an attempt to prevent the deselection of the sitting MP, Reg Prentice, and to expose Militant tendency entryism.
1978: Joining the Royal Naval Reserve
At the end of the Newham campaign in 1978, Julian Lewis returned to Oxford and joined the Royal Naval Reserve at HMS President, serving on HMS Glasserton.
1978: Return to Oxford and Joining the Royal Naval Reserve
In 1978, after the Newham campaign, Lewis returned to his studies at Oxford and joined the London Division of the Royal Naval Reserve.
1981: Research Director of the Coalition for Peace through Security
From 1981 to 1985, Julian Lewis served as the Research Director and then a Director of the Coalition for Peace through Security, advocating for the replacement of Polaris with Trident.
1981: Awarded DPhil in Strategic Studies
Julian Lewis was awarded a DPhil in Strategic Studies in 1981 for his thesis on British Military Planning for Post War Strategic Defence, 1942-1947.
1983: Conservative Candidate for Swansea West
In 1983, Julian Lewis stood as the Conservative candidate in Swansea West.
1984: Trade Union Act
In 1984, the Trade Union Act, incorporating changes initiated by Julian Lewis and others, was enacted.
1985: Director of the Coalition for Peace through Security
Julian Lewis became a Director of the Coalition for Peace through Security in 1985.
1986: Education Act
The 1986 Education Act, which included changes initiated by Julian Lewis, outlawed political indoctrination in schools.
1987: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was achieved in 1987, partly due to the efforts of the Coalition for Peace through Security, where Julian Lewis was a Director.
1988: Employment Act and Local Government Act
The Employment Act and Local Government Act, incorporating changes pushed by Julian Lewis, were enacted in 1988.
1990: Broadcasting Act
The 1990 Broadcasting Act, which included changes driven by Julian Lewis, incorporated stricter definitions of 'due impartiality' in broadcasting politically contentious issues.
1996: Education Act
The provisions from the 1986 Education Act, which Julian Lewis contributed to, were carried forward in the 1996 Education Act.
1997: Elected as MP for New Forest East
In 1997, Julian Lewis was elected to Parliament as the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Forest East.
August 2000: Criticism of Conservative Defectors
In August 2000, Julian Lewis criticized Conservative defectors to Labour over Section 28, describing the "gay lobby" as promoting "propaganda promoting homosexuality".
2001: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East
Julian Lewis was re-elected as MP for New Forest East in the 2001 general election.
2005: Won Trench Gascoigne Prize
In 2005, Julian Lewis won the Trench Gascoigne Prize awarded by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies for his essay on Nuclear Disarmament versus Peace in the 21st Century.
2005: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East
In the 2005 general election, Julian Lewis was re-elected as the MP for New Forest East.
2006: Dissertation awarded and published
In 2006, Julian Lewis's 10,000-word dissertation on The Future of the British Nuclear Deterrent was selected for an award and published as a Seaford House Paper by the Royal College of Defence Studies.
2008: Ranked Among Lowest-Claiming MPs
In 2008/09, Julian Lewis was ranked 566th out of 647 MPs in terms of expense claims.
May 2009: Expense Claim Allegations
In May 2009, The Sunday Telegraph alleged that Julian Lewis attempted to claim expenses for a wooden floor, which he denied and was later confirmed by a Commons official.
December 2009: Frontbencher of the Year
Julian Lewis was chosen as Frontbencher of the Year by commentators on the ConservativeHome website in December 2009.
September 2010: Member of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee
In September 2010, Julian Lewis was appointed as a member of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.
December 2010: Backbencher of the Year
Julian Lewis was selected as Backbencher of the Year by commentators on the ConservativeHome website in December 2010.
2010: Appointed Visiting Senior Research Fellow
In 2010, Julian Lewis was appointed as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies, Department of War Studies, King's College, London.
2010: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East
Julian Lewis was re-elected as MP for New Forest East in the 2010 general election.
February 2011: Opposition to Heritage Forests Transfer
In February 2011, Julian Lewis strongly opposed Coalition plans to transfer heritage forests from public ownership to trusts.
October 2011: Vote for EU Membership Referendum
In October 2011, Julian Lewis voted in favor of a referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union.
2011: Publication of Racing Ace
In 2011, Julian Lewis published Racing Ace – The Fights and Flights of "Kink" Kinkead DSO DSC* DFC*, a military biography of pioneering airman Samuel Kinkead. The book was praised as a 'Book of the Year' by historian Andrew Roberts.
April 2012: Published critique on Afghanistan strategy
In April 2012, Julian Lewis published a critique titled International Terrorism – The Case for Containment in the US military journal Joint Force Quarterly, discussing strategy in Afghanistan.
October 2012: Vote for EU Budget Cut
In October 2012, Julian Lewis voted to demand a real-terms cut in the EU budget.
May 2014: Candidate for Chairmanship of Defence Select Committee
In May 2014, Julian Lewis was a candidate for the chairmanship of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee.
2014: Analysis of Defence Expenditure
The reports on defense expenditure analyzed figures from 2014 onwards, comparing them with historical trends and NATO guidelines.
March 2015: Appointed to the Privy Council
In March 2015, Julian Lewis was appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, granting him the style The Right Honourable.
December 2015: Challenging Syria Intervention Claims
In December 2015, Julian Lewis challenged David Cameron's claims regarding the number of moderate Syrian fighters, expressing skepticism and voting against airstrikes in Syria.
2015: Initiating Separate Inquiries
In 2015, Julian Lewis initiated an arrangement for the Defence Sub-Committee to undertake separate inquiries chaired by other committee members.
2015: Re-election with Increased Vote Share
In 2015, Julian Lewis was re-elected with an increased vote share of 56.3% and a majority of 19,162.
2015: Chair of the Defence Select Committee
Julian Lewis served as Chair of the Defence Select Committee from 2015 to 2017.
2015: Analysis of Defence Expenditure
The reports on defense expenditure included analysis of spending trends from the year 2015.
April 2016: Publication of "Shifting the Goalposts?"
In April 2016, the report "Shifting the Goalposts? Defence Expenditure and the 2% Pledge" was published, analyzing UK defense expenditure and its compliance with NATO guidelines.
May 2016: Publication of "An Acceptable Risk?"
"An Acceptable Risk? The Use of Lariam by Military Personnel" was published in May 2016, leading to changes in the use of the anti-malarial drug mefloquine.
December 2016: Publication of "Open Source Stupidity"
"Open Source Stupidity – The Threat to the BBC Monitoring Service" was published in December 2016, criticizing plans related to the service.
2016: Sub-Committee Reports
Between 2016 and 2018, the Defence Sub-Committee produced several reports under Julian Lewis's initiative.
2016: UK Trident Programme Confirmed
In 2016, the UK Trident programme, which Julian Lewis actively supports, was confirmed.
April 2017: Publication of "Investigations into Fatalities in Northern Ireland"
In April 2017, "Investigations into Fatalities in Northern Ireland involving British Military Personnel" was published, recommending a Statute of Limitations and truth-recovery process.
2017: Chair of the Defence Select Committee
Julian Lewis served as Chair of the Defence Select Committee from 2017 to 2019.
2017: Re-election with Increased Vote Share
Julian Lewis was re-elected in the 2017 snap general election with an increased vote share of 62.6% and a majority of 21,995.
2017: Analysis of Defence Expenditure
The defense expenditure reports analyzed spending patterns from 2017 as well, comparing them against previous years and NATO targets.
February 2018: Publication of "Sunset for the Royal Marines?"
"Sunset for the Royal Marines? The Royal Marines and Amphibious Capability" was published in February 2018, criticizing a proposal to remove ships from the Fleet.
February 2018: Launch of Joint UK-France Inquiry
In February 2018, Julian Lewis and Jean-Jacques Bridey launched a joint inquiry into the UK-France future cruise/anti-ship weapon project.
April 2018: Publication of "Rash or Rational?"
"Rash or Rational? North Korea and the Threat it Poses" was published in April 2018, analyzing the actions and motivations of Kim Jong-un.
May 2018: Publication of "Lost in Translation?"
In May 2018, "Lost in Translation? Afghan Interpreters and other Locally Employed Civilians" was published, leading to some policy changes regarding interpreters.
June 2018: Publication of "Beyond 2 per cent"
"Beyond 2 per cent: A Preliminary Report on the Modernising Defence Programme" was published in June 2018, recommending increased defense expenditure.
December 2018: Report on Joint UK-France Inquiry
The joint inquiry by the UK and French committees, launched in February 2018, reported its findings in December 2018.
2018: Sub-Committee Reports
The Defence Sub-Committee, through Julian Lewis's initiative, published reports between 2016 and 2018 on various military matters.
July 2019: Publication of "Shifting the Goalposts?" Update
An update to the "Shifting the Goalposts?" report was published in July 2019, confirming the decline in UK defense expenditure.
2019: Appointed Honorary Professor
In 2019, Julian Lewis became an Honorary Professor at the Strategy and Security Institute, University of Exeter.
2019: Re-election with Increased Vote Share
In 2019, Julian Lewis was re-elected with an increased vote share of 64.5% and an increased majority of 25,251.
2019: End of Term as Chair of the Defence Select Committee
In 2019, Julian Lewis' term as Chair of the Defence Select Committee ended.
July 2020: Conservative Whip Removed and Restored
In July 2020, Julian Lewis had the Conservative Party whip removed after challenging Boris Johnson's preferred candidate for the chairmanship of the Intelligence and Security Committee. The whip was restored in December 2020.
December 2020: Conservative Whip Restored
Julian Lewis had his Conservative Party whip restored in December 2020 after it was removed in July 2020.
2020: Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee
In 2020, Julian Lewis became the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).
2023: Knighted in New Year Honours
In 2023, Julian Lewis was knighted in the New Year Honours for his political and public service, recognizing his contributions to the field.
2024: Re-election with Decreased Vote Share
In the 2024 general election, Julian Lewis was re-elected, but with a decreased vote share of 38.5% and a reduced majority of 8,495.
30 December 2020: Conservative Party whip restored
On 30 December 2020, Julian Lewis had the Conservative Party whip restored unconditionally after its removal in July for allegedly working with opposition MPs during his election as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee.
