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Julian Knight (politician)

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Julian Knight
Official portrait, 2019
Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
In office
29 January 2020 – 25 April 2023[a]
Preceded byDamian Collins
Succeeded byDamian Green (acting)
Member of Parliament
for Solihull
In office
7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byLorely Burt
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1972-01-05) 5 January 1972 (age 52)
Chester, Cheshire, England
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Conservative (until 7 December 2022)
SpousePhilippa Harrison
Residence(s)Solihull, West Midlands, England
Alma materUniversity of Hull
WebsiteOfficial website

Julian Knight[1] (born 5 January 1972) is a British politician, author and former journalist who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Solihull from 2015 to 2024. He is a member of the Conservative Party, but sat as an independent from December 2022 for the rest of the term.[2]

He has stood for the newly created Solihull West and Shirley seat as an independent candidate.[3]

Early life and career

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Julian Knight was born on 5 January 1972 in Chester. He grew up in a single-parent family.[4] He graduated with a degree in history from the University of Hull.[5]

After university, Knight returned to Chester where he worked for a number of electrical retailers before moving to London to sell advertising for The Sun newspaper. He later worked for the BBC as personal finance and consumer affairs reporter for five years until 2007, working across television, radio and online. In 2007 he became the Money and Property Editor of The Independent on Sunday.[6]

In April 2015, Knight was criticised by Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, for a book he authored eleven years earlier on tax avoidance.[7][8]

Knight has written books on a variety of subjects for the For Dummies series, including the Euro crisis, Retiring Wealthy and The Royal Wedding.[9]

Parliamentary career

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In 2014, Knight was selected to be the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Solihull.[10][11] At the 2015 general election Knight was elected as MP for Solihull with 49.2% of the vote and a majority of 12,902.[12][13]

Prior to the 2016 UK referendum on European Union membership, Knight stated he would vote to remain in the EU.[14]

At the 2017 general election, Knight was re-elected as MP for Solihull with an increased vote share of 58.1% and an increased majority of 20,571.[15][16]

In January 2018, Knight was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Justice.[17] In September 2018 he moved to the Department for Work and Pensions before moving to HM Treasury in January 2019.

Knight also served as the Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to Mongolia, where he formed part of a network of parliamentarians with the role of strengthening relations with foreign countries, and helping British businesses in accessing foreign markets.[18] In April 2018, Knight made his first visit to the country as Trade Envoy.[19] Knight made his final visit in September 2018, and left the post at a later date.[20]

At the 2019 general election, Knight was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 58.4% and an increased majority of 21,273 votes.[21]

In December 2021, Knight said there was a "real sense of palpable loss" over the death of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in Solihull. Knight said the sentences given to the killers of the boy were too lenient and he would be referring the sentences to the Attorney General's Office for review under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.[22]

In July 2022, Knight supported Liz Truss in her campaign to become Conservative leader.[23]

In April 2023, Knight announced that he would not seek re-election as an MP at the 2024 general election.[24] He later chose to stand for the new Solihull West and Shirley constituency as an independent candidate. He finished in 6th place with 594 votes.[25]

Committees

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From July 2015 to April 2017, Knight served as a member of the Communities and Local Government Committee,[26] during which time he co-sponsored the Government's Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.[27]

He was a member of the Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee, later the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee from December 2016 until April 2023.[26] In that role he made several interventions, including on the BBC gender pay row[28][29] and against Facebook and digital company Cambridge Analytica during the committee's inquiry into 'fake news'.[30][31] In January 2020, Knight was elected as Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCSM) Select Committee. Knight replaced Damian Collins as chairman.[6]

In April 2023, Knight resigned as Chair of the DCMS Select Committee as he was recusing himself from Parliament until a complaint made about him to the Metropolitan Police had been resolved.[32]

Police investigation

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In December 2022, Knight had the Conservative Party whip suspended after the Metropolitan Police received a referral involving allegations of sexual assault.[33][34] Knight criticised the manner in which the suspension was carried out.[35] Essex Police investigated these allegations.[36] The Metropolitan Police said that it had received a report of "allegations of sexual assault against unnamed victims" on 28 October 2022 and after a further referral on 7 December 2022 had started an investigation. Knight stated he was "entirely innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever".[37] Knight was never arrested or interviewed by the police and on 29 March 2023, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Metropolitan Police. However he was not reinstated to the parliamentary Conservative Party following "further complaints".[38] The Metropolitan Police transferred the case to Essex Police.[39] In February 2024, Essex Police announced that following an investigation, no further criminal action would take place.[40]

Personal life

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Knight lives in Solihull. He is married to Philippa, a former nurse.[41]

Notes

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  1. ^ Damian Green was Acting Chair from 10 January 2023 to 31 March 2023 while Knight temporarily stood aside.

References

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  1. ^ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11779.
  2. ^ "Solihull Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Fresh disaster for Rishi Sunak as former Tory MP Julian Knight set to stand as independent". Daily Express. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  4. ^ Knight, Julian. "About". Julian Knight. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  5. ^ Bailey, Georgian (16 March 2020). "Julian Knight MP: 'To stay relevant, public service broadcasting must reflect the entire country'". The House. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b Tobitt, Charlotte (30 January 2020). "Former BBC journalist who backs licence fee reform elected DCMS Committee chairman". Press Gazette.
  7. ^ "Tory candidate for Solihull under fire over book on tax avoidance". The Guardian. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Tory candidate for Solihull under fire over book on tax avoidance". The Guardian. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Who is Julian Knight". Birmingham Mail. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Solihull Conservatives select Julian Knight as our Parliamentary Candidate". Solihull Borough. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Julian Knight selected for Solihull". West Midlands. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Solihull Results". bbc.co.uk.
  14. ^ "Solihull's Conservative MP Julian Knight will vote to stay in Europe". Solihull Observer. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  16. ^ "Solihull parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  17. ^ "List of PPS's". Conservative Home. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Trade envoys". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  19. ^ "PRESIDENT RECEIVES UK TRADE ENVOY JULIAN KNIGHT - President of Mongolia". President of Mongolia. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  20. ^ "Trade Mission to Mongolia 16th – 21st September 2018 - CEA: Construction Equipment Association". CEA: Construction Equipment Association. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  21. ^ "Solihull Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  22. ^ "Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Jail terms of boy's killers to be reviewed". BBC News. 4 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Julian Knight MP backs Liz Truss in the Conservative Party leadership election". Julian Knight MP. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  24. ^ "MP Julian Knight to stand down at next election". BBC News. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  25. ^ "Ex-Tory MP Julian Knight to stand as independent". BBC News. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Julian Knight MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  27. ^ "Solihull MP Julian Knight has pledged to support Solihull Council in its new effort to tackle homelessness in the borough". Solihull Observer. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  28. ^ Singh, Anita (1 February 2018). "Sarah Montague: I was gobsmacked by BBC gender pay report". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  29. ^ Tsang, Amie (31 January 2018). "BBC Managers Face Barrage of Criticism in Gender Pay Dispute". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  30. ^ Waterson, Jim (26 April 2018). "'Facebook is a morality-free zone': tech chief lambasted by MP". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  31. ^ "MPs laugh at Facebook boss during intense grilling in parliament". The Independent. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  32. ^ "Damian Green MP chosen as acting Chair of DCMS Committee - Committees - UK Parliament".
  33. ^ "Senior Tory MP suspended after complaint to police". BBC News. 7 December 2022.
  34. ^ Badshah, Nadeem (7 December 2022). "Conservatives remove whip from MP Julian Knight after complaint to Met". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Senior Tory MP Julian Knight says removal of whip 'wrong and unjustified'". ITV News. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  36. ^ "Essex Police investigate Solihull MP Julian Knight accused of serious sexual assault". 16 May 2023.
  37. ^ "Tory MP Julian Knight suspended after sex assault allegation made to police". BBC News. 8 December 2022.
  38. ^ "Julian Knight: Met Police drop sexual assault investigation into Tory MP". BBC News. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  39. ^ "Julian Knight: Police to investigate MP accused of sexual assault". BBC News. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  40. ^ Webber, Esther (29 February 2024). "Police drop sexual assault investigation into MP Julian Knight". Politico. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  41. ^ "Julian Knight MP". West Midlands Conservatives. Retrieved 11 December 2022.

Works

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Julian Knight (politician).
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Solihull
2015–2024 		Constituency abolished
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