Jake Berry
A northern MP who rose to chair the Conservative Party and champion regional economic development through the Northern Powerhouse project.
Born 1978 (age 48)·British politician·Birthday: December 29·Generation X
Biography
Jake Berry, born in 1978, entered Parliament in 2010 as the MP for Rossendale and Darwen, bringing a legal background as a solicitor to Westminster. His political rise was closely tied to the cause of regional rebalancing in England. Under Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson, Berry served as Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, a role that saw him advocating for infrastructure investment and devolution deals aimed at boosting the economy of the North of England. His loyalty and effectiveness were recognized with a knighthood and, briefly in the turbulent autumn of 2022, with the post of Conservative Party Chairman and Minister without Portfolio in Liz Truss's short-lived government. Though his tenure in that top party role lasted only weeks, his longer service as a vocal champion for his constituency and the North defined his parliamentary career before he stood down in 2024.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jake was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jake Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Jake's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio in 2022.
- Held the role of Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth from 2017 to 2020.
- Elected as the Member of Parliament for Rossendale and Darwen in 2010, serving until 2024.
- Was knighted in the 2020 Dissolution Honours list.
Did You Know?
He is a qualified solicitor, having studied law at the University of Sheffield.
His father was also a politician, serving as a councillor in Merseyside.
He was a prominent supporter of Boris Johnson's leadership campaigns.
“The North must have a voice and the power to shape its own future.”
