Rory Stewart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Rory Stewart OBE FRSGS FRSL
Stewart in 2023
Secretary of State for International Development
In office 1 May 2019 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Penny Mordaunt
Succeeded by	Alok Sharma
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State for Prisons In office 9 January 2018 – 1 May 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May Preceded by Sam Gyimah Succeeded by Robert Buckland Minister of State for Africa In office 15 June 2017 – 9 January 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May Preceded by Tobias Ellwood Succeeded by Harriett Baldwin Minister of State for International Development In office 17 July 2016 – 9 January 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May Preceded by Desmond Swayne Succeeded by Harriett Baldwin Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water, Forestry, Rural Affairs and Resource Management In office 12 May 2015 – 17 July 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron Preceded by Dan Rogerson Succeeded by Thérèse Coffey
Further offices held Chair of the Defence Select Committee In office 14 May 2014 – 12 May 2015 Preceded by James Arbuthnot Succeeded by Julian Lewis Member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border In office 6 May 2010 – 6 November 2019 Preceded by David Maclean Succeeded by Neil Hudson
Personal details
Born	Roderick James Nugent Stewart (1973-01-03) 3 January 1973 (age 52) British Hong Kong
Political party	Independent (from 2019)
Other political affiliations	Labour (before 1993) Conservative (2009–2019)
Spouse	Shoshana Clark ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	2
Parent	Brian Stewart (father)
Alma mater	University of Oxford
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1991–1992
Rank	Second Lieutenant (on probation)
Unit	Black Watch

Rory Stewart (born 3 January 1973) is a British academic, writer, and former politician. He has taught at famous universities like Harvard University and Yale University.

Stewart was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Penrith and The Border from 2010 to 2019. He represented the Conservative Party. He also worked in the UK Government as a minister in different departments. These included Environment, International Development, Africa, and Prisons. In 2019, he became the Secretary of State for International Development.

In 2019, Stewart ran to become the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. Since 2022, he has hosted a popular podcast called The Rest Is Politics with Alastair Campbell.

Stewart was born in Hong Kong. He went to Eton College and the University of Oxford. He worked as a diplomat in Indonesia and Montenegro. After that, he walked across countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. He wrote a best-selling book, The Places in Between, about his travels. He also worked in Iraq after the 2003 invasion and wrote another book, Occupational Hazards. In 2005, he helped set up the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Early Life and Education

Stewart was born in Hong Kong in 1973. At that time, Hong Kong was under British rule. His father, Brian Stewart, was a diplomat. His family is from Scotland.

Rory spent his early years in London, then Malaysia, and back to Hong Kong. He returned to Britain for boarding school at age 8. He attended the Dragon School and Eton College. As a teenager, he was part of the Labour Party.

In 1991, he served for a short time in the Black Watch army regiment. He then studied history and later philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University. While at Oxford, he tutored Prince William and Prince Harry during the summer.

His Time as a Diplomat

After university, Stewart joined the Foreign Office. This is the part of the government that handles international relations.

Working in Indonesia and Montenegro

From 1997 to 1999, he worked at the British embassy in Indonesia. He helped with issues like East Timor's independence. At 26, he became the British Representative to Montenegro after the Kosovo campaign. Some people have wondered if he worked for MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service, during this time. Stewart has said he did not, but also noted that the Official Secrets Act means he couldn't admit it even if he had.

Working in Iraq

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Stewart worked in southern Iraq in 2003. He was a Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator in two provinces. His jobs included helping with elections and solving local disputes. He also worked on development projects. He was honored with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for his work there. Stewart initially supported the Iraq War. However, he later felt the invasion was a mistake because it didn't lead to a better state.

Walking Journeys and Books

Stewart lecturing in 2008

In 2000, Stewart took time off from his diplomatic work. He decided to walk across Asia. This journey lasted over 18 months. He walked through much of Iran, Pakistan, and the Himalayas in India and Nepal. In early 2002, he completed a 36-day solo walk across Afghanistan. He usually walked 20-25 miles a day. He stayed in village houses each night. He has also walked across parts of Western New Guinea and much of the United Kingdom.

His book about walking across Afghanistan, The Places in Between, became a bestseller. The New York Times called it a "flat-out masterpiece." It won several awards, including the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize. There were even talks about making a film based on the book.

He also wrote The Marches: Border Walks With My Father. This book describes his 1,000-mile walk in the borderlands between England and Scotland. It also became a bestseller.

Writing on Politics

Stewart's book, The Prince of the Marshes, shares his thoughts on the intervention in Iraq. It is based on his experiences there. Another book, Can Intervention Work?, discusses lessons from international interventions.

He has written essays for magazines like New York Review of Books and London Review of Books. He has also appeared on TV and radio. In 2023, his book Politics on the Edge was published. It is a personal story about his years in politics. It quickly became a number one bestseller in the UK.

Academic and Charity Work

Charity Work

In 2005, Stewart helped set up the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Afghanistan. This charity works to restore historic buildings. It also helps with water supply, electricity, and setting up schools. Stewart worked in Kabul for three years for this foundation. In 2021, he and his family moved to Jordan to work on another Turquoise Mountain project.

In 2022, Stewart became the president of GiveDirectly. This organization gives money directly to people in need.

Academic Work

In 2008, Stewart became a professor at Harvard University. He directed the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. He left this job to run for Parliament. In 2020, he returned to academia at Yale University. He teaches politics and international relations there.

Stewart has often advised leaders on Afghanistan and Iraq. He spoke to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2009. He argued that a large American military presence in Afghanistan would not be helpful. He suggested a smaller force could achieve goals better.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Official portrait, 2015

Stewart decided to become a politician in 2009. He joined the Conservative Party. He was chosen as the candidate for Penrith and The Border. In 2010, he was elected as the MP for that area. He was re-elected in 2015 and 2017.

In 2010, Stewart apologized for a blog post about his constituents. He had said some areas were "primitive" and people used "twine" to hold up their trousers. He later explained he meant to show hidden poverty.

Stewart worked to improve internet access in Cumbria. He helped get funding for better broadband. He also supported campaigns to keep local services open. These included a cinema and a fire station in Penrith.

National Roles Before Becoming a Minister

When he first joined Parliament, Stewart became a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. This committee looks at foreign policy. He also led campaigns for better mobile phone coverage across the UK.

In 2014, Stewart was elected to chair the Defence Select Committee. This committee examines defense issues. He was the youngest person to chair such a committee. He pushed for a stronger response to Russian actions in Ukraine.

In 2014, Stewart started a project called Hands Across The Border. This project built a stone monument called 'The Auld Acquaintance'. It was built near the Scotland–England border. It was a symbol of unity between the two countries. Many people contributed stones with personal messages.

Working as a Minister

Stewart pictured with the Greek politician Nikos Xydakis in September 2016

After the 2015 election, Stewart became a minister in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). He was responsible for the natural environment, national parks, and floods.

Environment Minister

As environment minister, he helped introduce a 5 pence charge for plastic bags in England. This greatly reduced plastic bag use. He also worked on a 25-year plan for the environment. He helped secure more funding for national parks. He also oversaw the government's response to major floods in 2015-2016.

International Development Minister

In 2016, Stewart was promoted to Minister of State for International Development. He was in charge of UK development programs in the Middle East and Asia. He traveled widely, meeting with leaders in countries like Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Official parliamentary portrait, 2017

In 2017, he became a joint minister for the Foreign Office and International Development. He focused on Africa. He visited many African countries and met with their presidents. He pushed for more resources for the Foreign Office in Africa.

Prisons Minister

Stewart at the London Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in 2018

In 2018, Stewart became the Minister of State for Prisons. He was responsible for prisons and probation in England and Wales. He visited HMP Liverpool, which was described as the "worst prison." He promised to improve prisons. He also helped pass a law that doubled sentences for attacking emergency workers.

In August 2018, he launched the "Ten Prisons Project." He aimed to reduce violence in prisons. He promised to resign if the project wasn't successful in 12 months. The project showed a 16% drop in assaults, which was a positive trend.

Secretary of State for International Development

In May 2019, Stewart was promoted to the Cabinet. He became the Secretary of State for International Development. This role gave him a seat on the UK Cabinet and the National Security Council.

His main goals were to increase UK investment in the environment and climate change. He also wanted to send more UK development staff to other countries. He focused on the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He visited the outbreak sites and met with President Tshisekedi.

Stewart resigned from the Cabinet in July 2019. This was because he did not want to serve under Boris Johnson, who became Prime Minister.

Running for Prime Minister

Stewart was a candidate in the 2019 Conservative leadership election. He announced his plan to run in The Times. His campaign was unusual. He did not focus on Westminster. Instead, he went on "RoryWalks." He filmed himself walking through towns and talking to voters. He shared these videos on social media, which became very popular.

Many people did not expect him to do well. However, he made it through the first two rounds of voting by MPs. He also performed well in a televised debate on Channel 4. But in the next round, he received fewer votes and was eliminated.

Life After Politics

In September 2019, Stewart was removed from the Conservative Party. This happened after he voted against the government's plan for Brexit. He then announced he was leaving the Conservative Party. He also said he would step down as an MP in the next election.

London Mayoral Candidate

In October 2019, Stewart announced he would run as an independent candidate for the London mayoral election. He planned to walk through all 32 London boroughs. He also invited Londoners to let him stay in their homes. He wanted to understand the city through their eyes.

The mayoral election was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, Stewart ended his campaign. He said it was impossible to continue campaigning for another year.

Political Views

Stewart supported staying in the European Union during the 2016 referendum. After the vote to leave, he argued for a "sensible, moderate deal." He believed Britain should stay close to Europe in diplomacy, politics, and economy. He supported the Brexit agreement negotiated by Theresa May.

He later argued for the UK to remain in a Customs Union with the European Union. He voted with the Labour Party for this idea. He was strongly against a "no-deal Brexit." He was removed from the Conservative Party for voting against it.

As an MP, Stewart supported fox hunting. He said it was an important cultural tradition in Cumbria.

Personal Life

In 2012, Rory Stewart married Shoshana Clark. They have two sons. Stewart delivered their first child himself.

He lives in South Kensington, London, and also in Dufton, Cumbria. He is said to be good at 11 languages, though he calls himself "mediocre" in some. From 2021 to 2023, he and his family lived in Jordan for his work with the Turquoise Mountain Foundation.

Awards and Honours

• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (2004)
• Ondaatje Prize for his writing (2005)
• Livingstone Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (2009)
• Ness Award from the Royal Geographical Society (2018)
• British Academy Scotland Award for documentary (2014)
• Politician of the Year award from British GQ (2019)
• Honorary doctorates from the University of Stirling, American University of Paris, and University of Cumbria.
• He became a member of the Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in 2019. This gave him the title "The Right Honourable".
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (2005)
• Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (FRSGS) (2009)

Books

• The Places in Between, 2004
• Occupational Hazards: My Time Governing in Iraq, 2006 (also known as The Prince of the Marshes)
• Can Intervention Work?, co-authored with Gerald Knaus, 2011
• The Marches: Border Walks With My Father, 2016
• Politics On the Edge: A Memoir from Within, 2023

See also

In Spanish: Rory Stewart para niños