Julian Lewis
Sir Julian Murray Lewis (born 26 September 1951) is a British Conservative Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP), representing New Forest East since 1997. Lewis has served as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) since 2020, succeeding Dominic Grieve.
The Right Honourable Sir Julian Lewis MP | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2018 | |
| Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee | |
| Assumed office 15 July 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Dominic Grieve |
| Chair of the Defence Select Committee | |
| In office 17 June 2015 – 6 November 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Rory Stewart |
| Succeeded by | Tobias Ellwood |
| Member of Parliament for New Forest East | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Majority | 25,251 (49.7%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Julian Murray Lewis 26 September 1951 Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Other political affiliations | Labour (1976–1978; entryist) |
| Alma mater |
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| Awards | Knight Bachelor |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | Royal Naval Reserve |
| Years of service | 1979–1982 |
| Rank | Seaman |
| Unit | HMS President – 10th Mine Counter-Measures Squadron |
| Academic background | |
| Thesis | British military planning for post-war strategic defence, 1942–47 (1981) |
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Lewis previously served as Chair of the Defence Select Committee (HCDC), from 2015 to 2017 and from 2017 to 2019, and is the first Parliamentarian to have chaired both the ISC and the HCDC. He actively pursues the retention and renewal of the British strategic nuclear deterrent, the UK Trident programme – confirmed in 2016 – and campaigns for Defence expenditure to be restored to 3% of GDP. 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. The whip was restored on 30 December 2020.
A Eurosceptic, Lewis is a supporter of the pro-Brexit groups Leave Means Leave and the European Research Group (ERG). He was one of just 28 Conservative MPs (the 'Spartans') who voted all three times against Theresa May's EU Withdrawal Agreement, regarding it as "Brexit in Name Only".