Bernard Jenkin
A steadfast Eurosceptic voice, he evolved from Thatcherite rebel to a key parliamentary scrutineer of government power.
Born 1959 (age 67)·British politician·Birthday: April 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Sir Bernard Jenkin has been a constant, sometimes controversial, presence in Westminster since his election in 1992. The son of a cabinet minister, he cut his teeth as a fervent Eurosceptic on the backbenches, a stance that once saw him defy the government of John Major. For years, he was a standard-bearer for the Conservative right, chairing the European Research Group and advocating for a hard break from the EU. In later years, his role shifted from rebel to overseer. As the long-serving chair of the powerful Public Administration Committee and later the Liaison Committee, he became a sharp, forensic questioner of prime ministers and a champion of parliamentary accountability, demonstrating a deep institutional loyalty that complemented his earlier ideological fervor.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bernard was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bernard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Bernard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex (and predecessors) in 1992, serving for over three decades.
- Served as Chairman of the Liaison Committee, which questions the Prime Minister, from 2020 to 2023.
- Was a prominent chairman of the European Research Group, a influential bloc of Conservative Eurosceptic MPs.
- Led the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee for seven years, scrutinizing government operations.
Did You Know?
His father, Patrick Jenkin, was a Cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher.
He was knighted in the 2021 Birthday Honours for political service.
Jenkin is a trained pianist and has performed in amateur musical productions.
He attended the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, before studying at Cambridge.
“The role of Parliament is to hold the executive to account, and that is what we must do.”
