Overview
was first elected as the for in May 2005.
After supporting David Cameron’s bid for the leadership, Hunt became an important player in Cameron’s modernising project. After holding junior shadow ministerial roles, in 2007 Hunt became Shadow of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
In the aftermath of the 2010 General Election, Hunt was appointed of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
From 2012-2018, Hunt was of State for , becoming the longest serving in history.
In 2018, Hunt was chosen to replace Boris Johnson at the Foreign office, a position from which he launched a Leadership bid in 2019. After making it to the final round, Hunt faced a vote of Party members who overwhelmingly chose Boris Johnson.
As of January 2020, Hunt serves as the Chair of the and Select .
Former Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.
Political Career
Upon entering parliament at the 2005 election, Hunt was quickly picked out by Cameron as an MP with potential. As Shadow of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Hunt was one of only three of the 2005 intake to sit in the Shadow Cabinet by 2007.
As (2012-2018), Hunt had a number of runs ins with the medical establishment. During his 2,099-day tenure, there was a series of junior strikes over pay and contractual changes to working practices – the first such strikes for 40 years. During his time in office, he attempted to put greater emphasis on the issue of .
In the July 2018 , Hunt was appointed of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, a position he held until July 2019.
Hunt chose two signature causes during his short time at the Foreign Office: the defence of media freedom around the world and the protection of Christians from persecution. During his time at the Foreign Office, Hunt faced criticism for allowing the UK to sell arms to the Saudi Arabians given how the Saudi were involved in a particularly nasty military campaign in Yemen.
Following Theresa May’s resignation, Hunt was one of the 10 MPs who launched a leadership campaign. Hunt won the support of enough MPs (77 in total) to go through to the final vote of the Party members. Hunt promised his rival, Boris Johnson, ‘the fight of his life’, but Johnson proved far more popular among the Brexit-supporting base. Hunt only managed to secure 33.6% of the membership.
After snubbing Johnson’s offer of a demotion to of State for Defence, Hunt returned to the backbenches. He is now Chairman of the influential Commons and Select , one whose importance heightened during the Coronavirus .
and Boris Johnson
Hunt’s and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s political careers have entangled at many stages.
As Culture , Hunt worked closely with then London Mayor, Boris Johnson, in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics.
In 2018, Hunt took over as following Boris Johnson’s spell in the job.
With the pair having then been leadership rivals in 2019, Hunt became something of an alternative voice to during the Coronavirus of 2020-21. As Chairman of the Parliamentary Select , Hunt was not slow to put forward his own alternative opinions on how the should be, or should have been, managed.
Political Views
Hunt has long-been seen to lie on the more liberal wing of the party. He voted for ‘Remain’ at the 2016 referendum and voted for Theresa May’s deal during all three ‘meaningful votes’ in Parliament.
As a self-described ‘One-Nation’ , Hunt has been associated with socially and economically liberal policies.
Background
How old is ?
Hunt was born in Kennington, South London, on the 1st of November 1966. Hunt’s sister tragically died when he was 2-years-old.
What did do before politics?
After graduating from Oxford University, where he had been Chairman of the University Association, Hunt briefly became a management consultant. He then travelled to Japan where he taught English for two years. Returning to the UK, Hunt co-founded ‘Hotcourses’, a website designed to help students and parents choose the right college course. In 2017, Hunt reportedly earned some £15 million from the sale of Hotcourses.
Is married?
Hunt married Lucia Guo in July 2009. The couple have a son and two daughters. Back in 2009, Hunt flew all the way to Xi’an in China, Lucia’s hometown, to formally ask Lucia’s father for her hand in marriage.
Things you might not know about
His father was an Admiral and Commander of the Fleet
Admiral Sir Nicholas John Streynsham Hunt is Jeremy’s father. Sir Nicholas was Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet from 1985 to 1987. In this role he was responsible for the operations of all ships, submarines and aircraft in the Royal Navy. The post was abolished in 2012.
He loves ballroom dancing
In 2012, fellow , Michael Gove revealed that Hunt is an ‘amazing dancer’. A subsequent interview with Hunt’s dance teacher revealed: ‘Dance comes from the heart and that’s one thing Jeremy has – a big heart’.
He speaks Japanese
As a former English language teacher in Japan, Hunt speaks fluent Japanese.
Further Details
Twitter – @Jeremy_Hunt
Facebook Address – @jeremyhuntsws
Personal Website – https://www.jeremyhunt.org
