19 Facts About Julian Lewis

Sir Julian Murray Lewis was born on 26 September 1951 and is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for New Forest East since 1997.

Julian Lewis previously served as Chair of the Defence Select Committee, from 2015 to 2017 and from 2017 to 2019, and is the first Parliamentarian to have chaired both the ISC and the HCDC.

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, former Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, on 15 July 2020.

Julian Lewis was born on 26 September 1951 in Swansea, into a Jewish family and son of a tailor and designer.

Julian Lewis went to Dynevor Grammar School, competing in the school team for Television Top of the Form, broadcast on BBC1 on Thursday 2 June 1966, losing to Fairfield Grammar School, of Bristol, in the semi-finals.

Julian Lewis went to Balliol College, Oxford, receiving a BA, later promoted to MA, in Philosophy and Politics.

Julian Lewis became a leading opponent of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and other Left-wing organisations, throughout the 1980s.

Julian Lewis was appointed as a member of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee in September 2010.

Julian Lewis has been a vice-chairman of the Conservative Friends of Poland.

Julian Lewis has been described by The Daily Telegraph as "one of the most vigorous rightwingers in the Commons" and by The Guardian as the Conservative Party's "front bench terrier".

Julian Lewis was one of the Frontbenchers and Backbenchers of the Year chosen by commentators on the ConservativeHome website, in December 2009 and December 2010 respectively.

Julian Lewis is the only MP who does not allow his constituents to contact him by email.

On 15 July 2020, Julian Lewis was elected Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament with the support of the opposition MPs on the committee.

Julian Lewis defeated Chris Grayling, who had been Boris Johnson's preferred candidate.

Two years later, Julian Lewis won this prize for a second time, with an essay entitled Double-I, Double-N: A Framework for Counter-Insurgency.

Julian Lewis's 10,000-word dissertation on The Future of the British Nuclear Deterrent was selected for an award and for publication as a Seaford House Paper by the Royal College of Defence Studies of which he was a Parliamentary member in 2006.

In 2010, Julian Lewis was appointed as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Defence Studies, Department of War Studies, King's College, London; and, in 2019, he became an Honorary Professor, Strategy and Security Institute, University of Exeter.

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

Julian Lewis was knighted in the 2023 New Year Honours for political and public service.