Crispin Blunt | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee | |
| In office 18 June 2015 – 12 July 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Ottaway |
| Succeeded by | Tom Tugendhat |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth Justice | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 4 September 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Maria Eagle |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Wright |
| Member of Parliament for Reigate | |
| In office 1 May 1997 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Sir George Gardiner |
| Succeeded by | Rebecca Paul |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt 15 July 1960 West Germany |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (until 2023) |
| Spouse |
Victoria Jenkins
(m. 1990; sep. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Emily Blunt (niece) |
| Alma mater | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst University College, Durham Cranfield School of Management |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Awards | Queen's Medal |
| Website | Personal Website Commons Website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1979–1990 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) |
Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (born 15 July 1960) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Reigate from 1997 to 2024.[1] Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, he was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth Justice within the Ministry of Justice from 2010 to 2012 and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee from 2015 until 2017.
Blunt first entered the House of Commons at the 1997 general election, when he replaced the then MP Sir George Gardiner, who had been deselected by the Constituency Conservative Association Executive Council and joined the Referendum Party. In 2013, Blunt was deselected by the Constituency Executive Council, with speculation that this was due to his public announcement that he was gay.[2] However, after a ballot of party members in Reigate, the decision was overturned by a margin of 5–1 and Blunt was reselected as the Conservative candidate for the 2015 general election.[3]
On 1 May 2022, he announced he would be standing down at the 2024 general election.[4] In October 2023, he was arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances, and released on conditional bail. He subsequently had the Conservative Party whip removed, continuing to sit as an independent MP.[5][6]
- ^ "Crispin Blunt MP". Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ "Crispin Blunt reselected as Tory MP following deselection attempt after he came out as gay". Pink News. London. 18 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ^ "Local Conservatives support Reigate's Crispin Blunt". BBC News. 18 November 2013. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Crispin Blunt marks 25 Years as Member of Parliament for Reigate". blunt4reigate.com. May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ Davis, Barney (26 October 2023). "Tory MP Crispin Blunt arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of drugs". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Tory MP Crispin Blunt arrested on suspicion of rape". BBC News. 26 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.