History of Julian Lewis in Timeline

Sir Julian Murray Lewis is a British Conservative Party politician, currently the Member of Parliament for New Forest East since 1997. He is notable for his leadership roles within Parliament, specifically his tenure as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) from 2020 until the 2024 General Election. He also previously chaired the Defence Select Committee (HCDC) across two terms (2015-2017 and 2017-2019). Lewis is the first parliamentarian to have chaired both the ISC and the HCDC.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1942: British Military Planning for Post War Strategic Defence

Julian Lewis's thesis was on British Military Planning for Post War Strategic Defence, 1942-1947.

1947: British Military Planning for Post War Strategic Defence

Julian Lewis's thesis was on British Military Planning for Post War Strategic Defence, 1942-1947.

September 1951: Birth of Julian Lewis

In September 1951, Julian Lewis was born in Swansea into a Jewish family. His father was a tailor and designer.

Others born on this day/year

June 1966: Television Top of the Form Competition

On Thursday, 2 June 1966, Julian Lewis, as part of his school team, competed in Television Top of the Form broadcast on BBC1, losing in the semi-finals.

1976: Infiltration of Newham North East Constituency Labour Party

From 1976 until early 1978, Julian Lewis posed as a Labour Party moderate to highlight Militant tendency entryism in the Labour Party.

1978: Infiltration of Newham North East Constituency Labour Party

From 1976 until early 1978, Julian Lewis posed as a Labour Party moderate to highlight Militant tendency entryism in the Labour Party.

1978: Joined the Royal Naval Reserve

In 1978, Julian Lewis returned to his studies at Oxford and joined the London Division of the Royal Naval Reserve, serving as a Seaman on the Southampton-based Ton-class minesweeper, HMS Glasserton (M1141).

1981: Research Director for the Coalition for Peace through Security

From 1981 to 1985, Julian Lewis was the Research Director and then a Director of the Coalition for Peace through Security, supporting the replacement of Polaris by Trident.

1981: Awarded DPhil in Strategic Studies

In 1981, Julian Lewis was awarded the DPhil in Strategic Studies from St Antony's College, Oxford, for his thesis.

1983: Conservative candidate in Swansea West

In 1983, Julian Lewis stood as the Conservative candidate in Swansea West at the general election, coming second.

1984: Trade Union Act

From the mid-1980s, Julian Lewis worked with Conservative and Crossbench members of the House of Lords to initiate changes to legislation requiring postal ballots for trade union elections, which was incorporated in the Trade Union Act 1984.

1985: Director of the Coalition for Peace through Security

From 1981 to 1985, Julian Lewis was the Research Director and then a Director of the Coalition for Peace through Security, supporting the replacement of Polaris by Trident.

1986: Education Act

From the mid-1980s, Julian Lewis worked with Conservative and Crossbench members of the House of Lords to initiate changes to legislation outlawing political indoctrination in schools, which was incorporated in the Education Act 1986.

1987: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

In 1987, Julian Lewis's work helped the achievement of President Reagan's 1981 Zero Option proposal in the form of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

1988: Employment Act

1990: Deputy Director of the Conservative Research Department

From 1990 until 1996, Julian Lewis was a Deputy Director of the Conservative Research Department (CRD) at Conservative Central Office (CCO).

1990: Broadcasting Act

From the mid-1980s, Julian Lewis worked with Conservative and Crossbench members of the House of Lords to initiate changes to legislation strictly defining the concept of 'due impartiality' in the coverage of politically contentious issues on television and radio, which was incorporated in the Broadcasting Act 1990.

1992: Published directories listing Labour MPs' support for left-wing causes

In the run-up to the 1992 General Election, CCO published detailed directories, compiled by Julian Lewis, listing Labour MPs' and candidates' support for left-wing causes.

February 1996: Selection as prospective Parliamentary candidate

In February 1996, Julian Lewis was selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate for the new constituency of New Forest East.

1996: Education Act

1997: Election as MP for New Forest East

In 1997, Julian Lewis was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Forest East.

August 2000: Attack on Conservative defectors

In August 2000, Julian Lewis criticized Conservative defectors to Labour for supporting Section 28 and accused the "gay lobby" of promoting homosexuality at the expense of taxpayers.

2001: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East

In 2001, Julian Lewis was re-elected as MP for New Forest East with a decreased vote share and a decreased majority.

2003: Dodgy dossiers

In December 2015, Julian Lewis stated that 'instead of having dodgy dossiers [as in the 2003 Iraq conflict], we now have bogus battalions of moderate fighters'.

2005: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East

In 2005, Julian Lewis was re-elected as MP for New Forest East with an increased vote share and an increased majority.

2005: Trench Gascoigne Prize

In 2005, Julian Lewis won the Trench Gascoigne Prize of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) for his essay on Nuclear Disarmament versus Peace in the 21st Century.

2006: Seaford House Paper Award

In 2006, Julian Lewis's dissertation, "The Future of the British Nuclear Deterrent," was selected for an award and publication as a Seaford House Paper by the Royal College of Defence Studies.

2008: Listed as amongst the lowest-claiming MPs

In 2008, Julian Lewis was repeatedly listed as amongst the lowest-claiming MPs.

May 2009: Expenses Allegations

In May 2009, The Sunday Telegraph alleged that Julian Lewis had tried to claim the £6,000 cost of a wooden floor in his second home, which he denied and was later confirmed that he had acted in accordance with best practice.

December 2009: Frontbencher of the Year

In December 2009, Julian Lewis was chosen as one of the Frontbenchers of the Year by commentators on the ConservativeHome website.

September 2010: Appointed to the Intelligence and Security Committee

In September 2010, Julian Lewis was appointed as a member of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee. He also became a vice-chairman of the Conservative Friends of Poland.

December 2010: Backbencher of the Year

In December 2010, Julian Lewis was chosen as one of the Backbenchers of the Year by commentators on the ConservativeHome website.

2010: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East

In 2010, Julian Lewis was again re-elected as MP for New Forest East with an increased vote share and an increased majority.

2010: Visiting Senior Research Fellow Appointment

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.

February 2011: Opposition to Coalition plans

In February 2011, Julian Lewis strongly opposed Coalition plans to transfer heritage forests from public ownership to trusts.

October 2011: Rebel vote on EU referendum

In October 2011, Julian Lewis was one of 81 Conservative rebels who voted in favour of a referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union.

2011: Racing Ace Book Published

In 2011, Julian Lewis's book, "Racing Ace – The Fights and Flights of "Kink" Kinkead DSO DSC* DFC*", was published, recounting the life of Samuel Kinkead. It was chosen as a 'Book of the Year 2011' for The Sunday Telegraph Magazine.

April 2012: International Terrorism Publication

In April 2012, Julian Lewis's critique of strategy in Afghanistan, "International Terrorism – The Case for Containment", was published in the US military journal Joint Force Quarterly.

October 2012: Rebel vote on EU budget

In October 2012, Julian Lewis was one of 53 Conservative rebels voting to demand a real-terms cut in the EU budget.

May 2014: Candidate for chairmanship of the Defence Select Committee

In May 2014, Julian Lewis was one of eight candidates for the chairmanship of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, coming second.

2014: Decline in Defence Expenditure

The report confirmed that defence expenditure had declined in successive years to 1.9% in 2014–15, when calculated on a historically consistent basis.

March 2015: Appointed to the Privy Council

In March 2015, Julian Lewis was appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and granted the style The Right Honourable.

June 2015: Elected to chair the Defence Select Committee

On 17 June 2015, Julian Lewis was elected to chair the Defence Select Committee.

December 2015: Debate on bombing ISIL/Daesh in Syria

In December 2015, Julian Lewis challenged David Cameron's claim about the number of "moderate" Syrian fighters and voted against extending airstrikes against ISIL/Daesh into Syria.

2015: Chair of the Defence Select Committee

In 2015, Julian Lewis became the Chair of the Defence Select Committee (HCDC).

2015: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East

In 2015, Julian Lewis was again re-elected as MP for New Forest East with an increased vote share and an increased majority.

2015: Decline in Defence Expenditure

The report confirmed that defence expenditure had declined in successive years to 1.8% in 2015–16, when calculated on a historically consistent basis.

April 2016: Publication of "Shifting the Goalposts? Defence Expenditure and the 2% Pledge"

In April 2016, the report Shifting the Goalposts? Defence Expenditure and the 2% Pledge, was published, concluding that the Government had met the minimum 2% NATO guideline only by including several significant items not previously included when calculating defence expenditure.

May 2016: Publication of "An Acceptable Risk? The Use of Lariam by Military Personnel"

In May 2016, the report An Acceptable Risk? The Use of Lariam by Military Personnel was published, leading to a reduction in the use of mefloquine and stricter prescription requirements.

September 2016: UK Military Operations in Syria and Iraq Publication

In September 2016, the "UK Military Operations in Syria and Iraq" report was published, revealing a disparity in the number of airstrikes carried out in Iraq versus Syria, highlighting the difference in support for ground forces.

December 2016: Open Source Stupidity Publication

In December 2016, Julian Lewis published "Open Source Stupidity – The Threat to the BBC Monitoring Service", criticizing the BBC's plan to close the Monitoring Service headquarters and the UK Government's decision to end its grant, suggesting a state-owned Open Source Information Agency might be needed.

2016: UK Trident programme confirmed

In 2016, Julian Lewis actively pursued the retention and renewal of the British strategic nuclear deterrent, the UK Trident programme, which was confirmed.

2016: Defence Sub-Committee Reports

In 2016, Julian Lewis initiated an arrangement for the Defence Sub-Committee to undertake separate individual inquiries chaired in turn by other members of the Defence Committee. Between 2016 and 2018 the Sub-Committee produced reports on military exercise deaths, the Iraq Historic Allegations Team and Defence in the Arctic.

April 2017: Investigations into Fatalities in Northern Ireland Publication

In April 2017, Julian Lewis published "Investigations into Fatalities in Northern Ireland involving British Military Personnel", recommending a Statute of Limitations and truth-recovery process to prevent legal persecution of UK personnel and to uncover the truth about the Troubles.

May 2017: Lecture to former Dynevor School pupils

In May 2017, Julian Lewis gave a lecture to former Dynevor School pupils, detailing his background, his path into politics, and his conclusions about Parliamentary life.

July 2017: Re-elected to chair the Defence Select Committee

On 12 July 2017, Julian Lewis was again elected to chair the Defence Select Committee.

2017: Chair of the Defence Select Committee

In 2017, Julian Lewis continued as the Chair of the Defence Select Committee (HCDC).

2017: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East

In 2017, Julian Lewis was again re-elected at the snap general election with an increased vote share and an increased majority.

2017: Decline in Defence Expenditure

The report confirmed that defence expenditure had declined in successive years to 1.8% in 2017–18, when calculated on a historically consistent basis.

February 2018: Joint Inquiry Launched with France

In February 2018, Julian Lewis and Jean-Jacques Bridey launched a joint Inquiry by their respective committees into the UK-France future cruise/anti-ship weapon project. It was the first joint Inquiry to be held by a House of Commons Committee and a Committee of a non-UK legislature.

February 2018: Sunset for the Royal Marines? Publication

In February 2018, Julian Lewis published "Sunset for the Royal Marines? The Royal Marines and Amphibious Capability", criticizing the proposal to remove HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark from the Fleet, describing it as "a short-sighted, militarily illiterate manoeuvre totally at odds with strategic reality". The plan was later abandoned.

April 2018: Rash or Rational? North Korea and the Threat it Poses Publication

In April 2018, Julian Lewis published "Rash or Rational? North Korea and the Threat it Poses", concluding that Kim Jong-un is rational and can be deterred from using nuclear weapons through containment.

May 2018: Lost in Translation? Afghan Interpreters and other Locally Employed Civilians Publication

In May 2018, Julian Lewis published "Lost in Translation? Afghan Interpreters and other Locally Employed Civilians", recommending a more sympathetic approach to admitting threatened interpreters to the UK. This led to some liberalization of relocation rules.

June 2018: Beyond 2 per cent: A Preliminary Report on the Modernising Defence Programme Publication

In June 2018, Julian Lewis published "Beyond 2 per cent: A Preliminary Report on the Modernising Defence Programme", advocating for increased Defence expenditure to 3% of GDP.

December 2018: Joint Inquiry Reported

In December 2018, the joint Inquiry by Julian Lewis and Jean-Jacques Bridey's committees into the UK-France future cruise/anti-ship weapon project reported its findings.

2018: Defence Sub-Committee Reports

In 2018, the Defence Sub-Committee, under Julian Lewis's arrangement, produced reports on military exercise deaths, the Iraq Historic Allegations Team and Defence in the Arctic.

July 2019: Publication of "Update to Shifting the Goalposts?"

In July 2019, the Defence Committee published an Update to Shifting the Goalposts?, confirming that defence expenditure had declined in successive years.

2019: Honorary Professor Appointment

In 2019, Julian Lewis became an Honorary Professor at the Strategy and Security Institute, University of Exeter.

2019: Re-elected as MP for New Forest East

In 2019, Julian Lewis was again re-elected at the general election with an increased vote share and an increased majority.

2019: End of term as Chair of the Defence Select Committee

In 2019, Julian Lewis's term as the Chair of the Defence Select Committee (HCDC) came to an end.

July 2020: Removal of Conservative Party whip

On 15 July 2020, Julian Lewis had the Conservative Party whip removed after successfully standing against Boris Johnson's preferred candidate for the chairmanship of the Intelligence and Security Committee.

July 2020: Elected Chair of Intelligence and Security Committee

On 15 July 2020, Julian Lewis was elected Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC), defeating Boris Johnson's preferred candidate, Chris Grayling. He had the Conservative Party whip removed later that day.

December 2020: Restoration of Conservative Party whip

On 30 December 2020, the Conservative Party whip was restored to Julian Lewis.

December 2020: Conservative Party Whip Restored

On 30 December 2020, the Conservative Party whip was unconditionally restored to Julian Lewis, after it had been removed when he became the chair of the ISC