Crispin Blunt
Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (born 15 July 1960) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Reigate since 1997. Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, he was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth Justice within the Ministry of Justice from 2010 to 2012 and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee from 2015 until 2017.
Crispin Blunt MP | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee | |
| In office 18 June 2015 – 12 July 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Ottaway |
| Succeeded by | Tom Tugendhat |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth Justice | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 4 September 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Maria Eagle |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Wright |
| Member of Parliament for Reigate | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Sir George Gardiner |
| Majority | 18,310 (34.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt 15 July 1960 West Germany |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (until 2023) |
| Spouse |
Victoria Jenkins
(m. 1990; sep. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Emily Blunt (niece) |
| Alma mater | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst University College, Durham Cranfield School of Management |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Awards | Queen's Medal |
| Website | Personal Website Commons Website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1979–1990 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) |
Blunt first entered the House of Commons at the 1997 general election, when he replaced the then MP Sir George Gardiner, who had been deselected by the Constituency Conservative Association Executive Council and joined the Referendum Party. In 2013, Blunt was deselected by the Constituency Executive Council, with speculation that this was due to his public announcement that he was gay. However, after a ballot of party members in Reigate, the decision was overturned by a margin of 5–1 and Blunt was reselected as the Conservative candidate for the 2015 general election.
On 1 May 2022, he announced he would be standing down at the next general election. In October 2023, he was arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances, and released on conditional bail. He subsequently had the Conservative Party whip removed, continuing to sit as an independent MP.