John Redwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Redwood
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Shadow Secretary of State for Deregulation | |
| In office 6 May 2005 – 5 December 2005 |
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| Leader | Michael Howard |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions | |
| In office 15 June 1999 – 2 February 2000 |
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| Leader | William Hague |
| Preceded by | Gillian Shephard |
| Succeeded by | Archie Norman |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry | |
| In office 11 June 1997 – 15 June 1999 |
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| Leader | John Major William Hague |
| Preceded by | Michael Heseltine |
| Succeeded by | Angela Browning |
| Secretary of State for Wales | |
| In office 27 May 1993 – 26 June 1995 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | David Hunt |
| Succeeded by | William Hague |
| Minister of State for Local Government | |
| In office 15 April 1992 – 27 May 1993 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Michael Portillo |
| Succeeded by | David Curry |
| Minister of State for Corporate Affairs | |
| In office 26 July 1989 – 15 April 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher John Major |
| Preceded by | Francis Maude |
| Succeeded by | Neil Hamilton |
| Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit | |
| In office 5 May 1982 – 12 November 1987 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Ferdinand Mount |
| Succeeded by | Brian Griffiths |
| Member of Parliament for Wokingham |
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| In office 11 June 1987 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | William van Straubenzee |
| Succeeded by | Clive Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Alan Redwood
15 June 1951 Dover, Kent, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Gail Chippington
(m. 1974; div. 2003) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Kent College, Canterbury |
| Alma mater | Magdalen College, Oxford (BA) St Antony's College, Oxford (MPhil) All Souls College, Oxford (DPhil) |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | The fear of atheism in England, from the Restoration to Berkeley's Alciphron |
Sir John Alan Redwood (born 15 June 1951) is a British politician and academic. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wokingham in Berkshire from 1987 to 2024. He is a member of the Conservative Party.
He served as Secretary of State for Wales in the government led by John Major. He also ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party twice in the 1990s. After that, he held important roles in the Shadow Cabinets of William Hague and Michael Howard. On 24 May 2024, John Redwood announced he would not seek re-election as MP for Wokingham.
Before becoming an MP, Redwood earned a doctorate from All Souls College, Oxford. He also led the Number 10 Policy Unit under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He is known for being a Eurosceptic, meaning he was cautious about the European Union. He supported Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. He was also part of the group called Leave Means Leave.
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Early Life and Education
John Redwood was born in Dover on June 15, 1951. He was the second child of William Redwood, an accountant, and Amy Emma, a shoe shop manager. He grew up in a council house, and his family later bought their own home.
Redwood attended Kent College, a private school in Canterbury. He then went to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied modern history. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971.
He continued his studies at St Antony's College, Oxford, and was later elected a Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. He earned his doctorate (DPhil) in 1975. His thesis explored the fear of atheism in England during a specific historical period.
Political Journey
Before Becoming an MP
John Redwood started his political career early. He became an Oxfordshire county councillor for the Conservative Party when he was just 21 years old, serving from 1973 to 1977.
In 1983, he became the head of Margaret Thatcher's policy unit. In this role, he was a strong supporter of privatisation, which means selling state-owned businesses to private companies.
Serving in Parliament
Redwood was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1987 general election. He became the MP for Wokingham. He won with a large majority of votes.
In July 1989, he became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for corporate affairs. He was promoted to Minister of State in November 1990. After the 1992 general election, he became the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities. In this role, he helped replace the "poll tax" with the Council Tax.
He was re-elected as MP for Wokingham in the 1992, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2017, and 2019 general elections. Under Michael Howard, he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Deregulation.
In 2011, he did not vote on the military intervention in Libya. Redwood supports having a devolved English parliament. After the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, he called for major changes, including setting up an English Parliament.
On May 24, 2024, John Redwood announced he would not stand for re-election in the 2024 general election. He stated he had "other things I wish to do."
As a Government Minister
In May 1993, Redwood joined the cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales. He paused some road-building projects in Wales to protect the environment.
In 1993, he made a mistake when he tried to mime to the Welsh national anthem at a conference, as he did not know the words. He later learned the anthem. In February 1995, he had disagreements with the Countryside Council for Wales after cutting their funding. He also returned £100 million of Wales's budget to the Treasury in 1995.
Leadership Challenges
When John Major resigned as party leader in 1995, Redwood also resigned from the Cabinet. He then ran against Major in the leadership election. He received 89 votes, but Major won with 218 votes.
After the 1997 General Election, Major resigned again. Redwood ran for the leadership a second time in the election. He was defeated in the third round.
Views on Brexit
Redwood has always been a strong Eurosceptic. He was critical of the Euro currency before it was launched. In 2011, he suggested that the Eurozone should "break up." He also proposed that the UK should give up its voting rights in the EU in exchange for being able to opt out of EU laws.
Before the Brexit referendum, Redwood wrote that leaving the EU was "more important than which party wins the next election." Since then, he has suggested that the UK does not need to rush a post-Brexit deal with the EU. He has also defended the position that the UK should not pay the "Brexit bill," which is about £39 billion. In December 2019, he voted in favor of the Withdrawal Agreement, which included paying these financial obligations.
In June 2021, Redwood criticized the setup of the G7 group. He argued that having the presidents of the European Commission and European Council, along with representatives from France, Germany, and Italy, gave the EU a majority in the G7. However, the G7 does not make decisions by majority vote.
Public Image
John Redwood has often been compared to a Vulcan from Star Trek. This comparison was first made by Matthew Parris. It is due to his appearance, his logical way of arguing, and a perception that he is serious and not very emotional. Redwood has said he doesn't like the description but understands why people use it.
Business Career
Before and during his political career, Redwood worked in finance. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was an investment analyst, manager, and director for companies like Robert Fleming and NM Rothschild.
In 2007, he helped start Evercore Pan-Asset Capital Management Ltd, a financial management company. This company was later sold to Charles Stanley. He is currently the Chief Global Strategist at Charles Stanley & Co Ltd.
In January 2023, it was reported that Redwood had earned over £600,000 in addition to his MP salary since the 2019 general election. This made him one of the highest-earning MPs outside of his parliamentary duties.
Personal Life
John Redwood married Gail Felicity Chippington, a barrister, on April 20, 1974. They had two children, Catherine (born 1978) and Richard (born 1982). They later divorced in July 2003.
Blog
Redwood regularly writes a blog called John Redwood's Diary. It contains his thoughts on politics and current events. Printed copies of his blog are kept at the British Library.
Honours
- He was appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 1993. This gave him the title "the Right Honourable" for life.
- He was made a Knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours List.
