The Right Honourable  Oliver Letwin MP
Chairman of the Policy Review and Chairman of the Conservative Research Department
In office 6 December 2005 – present
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Office Created
Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office 5 May 2005 – 6 December 2005
Preceded by	Theresa May
Succeeded by	Peter Ainsworth
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 6 November 2003 – 5 May 2005
Leader	Michael Howard
Preceded by	Michael Howard
Succeeded by	George Osborne
Shadow Home Secretary
In office 18 September 2001 – 6 November 2003
Leader	Iain Duncan Smith
Preceded by	Ann Widdecombe
Succeeded by	David Davis
Born	19 May 1956 (1956-05-19) (age 51) Hampstead, London, England
Political party	Conservative

Oliver Letwin (born 19 May 1956, Hampstead) is the British Member of Parliament for West Dorset, Chairman of the Policy Review, and Chairman of the Conservative Research Department. The Right Honourable (abbreviated as or ) is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and in other Commonwealth Realms, and elsewhere. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 254 × 294 pixelsFull resolution (254 × 294 pixel, file size: 16 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Oliver Letwin User:WJBscribe Metadata This... The Conservative Research Department (CRD) was an integral part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. ... is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ... The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK cabinet-level position in charge of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the succesor to the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for the Environment. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Theresa Mary May (born in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, on October 1, 1956 as Theresa Mary Brasier) is a British politician, former chairman of the Conservative Party, and Member of Parliament for Maidenhead. ... Peter Michael Ainsworth (born 16 November 1956) is a British politician and the Conservative Member of Parliament for East Surrey. ... The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rt Hon. ... The Rt Hon. ... This article is on the politician. ... In British politics, the Shadow Home Secretary is the person within the shadow cabinet who shadows the Home Secretary; this effectively means scrutinising government policy on home affairs including policing, national security, immigration, the criminal justice system, the prison service, and matters of citizenship. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rt. ... Ann Noreen Widdecombe (born 4 October 1947) is a British Conservative Party politician. ... David Michael Davis (born December 23, 1948) is a British politician, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Haltemprice and Howden and Shadow Home Secretary. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other places with the same name, see Hampstead (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other places with the same name, see Hampstead (disambiguation). ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... West Dorset is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which covers the same geographical area as the West Dorset district. ... The Conservative Research Department (CRD) was an integral part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. ...

Early life

He is the son of William Letwin, Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics, and conservative academic Shirley Letwin. Letwin was educated at Hall School in Hampstead, then Eton College, Trinity College, Cambridge and the London Business School gaining a BA and PhD. From 1980-1, he was a visiting fellow (a Procter Fellow) of Princeton University, then a research fellow at Darwin College, Cambridge from 1981-2. Mascot: Beaver Affiliations: University of London Russell Group EUA ACU CEMS APSIA Universities UK U8 Golden Triangle G5 Group Website: http://www. ... Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (privately funded and independent) for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, north of Windsor Castle, and... Full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity Motto Virtus vera nobilitas Virtue is true Nobility Named after The Holy Trinity Previous names King’s Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546) Established 1546 Sister College(s) Christ Church Master The Lord Rees of Ludlow Location Trinity Street... Website http://www. ... A B.A. issued from the University of Tennessee. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... Full name Darwin College Motto - Named after The Darwin Family Previous names - Established 1964 Sister College(s) Wolfson College Master Prof. ...

Political career

From 1983 to 1986, he was a member of then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher's Policy Unit. He stood at the 1987 election for Hackney North, and again unsuccessfully stood against Glenda Jackson for the Hampstead and Highgate seat in the 1992 election, before winning the West Dorset seat in 1997, by the narrow margin of 1,840 votes. In September 2001 he was appointed Shadow Home Secretary, by Iain Duncan Smith. In late 2003, the new party leader, Michael Howard, appointed Letwin his successor as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ... Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson, CBE, (born 9 May 1936) is a two-time Academy Award-winning British actress and politician, currently Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hampstead and Highgate in the London Borough of Camden. ... In British politics, the Shadow Home Secretary is the person within the shadow cabinet who shadows the Home Secretary; this effectively means scrutinising government policy on home affairs including policing, national security, immigration, the criminal justice system, the prison service, and matters of citizenship. ... Rt. ... The Rt Hon. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose... The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ...

During the campaign for the 2001 general election, Letwin, as shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, expressed an aspiration to curtail future public spending by 20 billion pounds per annum relative to the plans of the Labour government. When this proposal came under attack as regressive, Letwin found few allies among his colleagues prepared to defend it, and adopted a low profile for the remainder of the campaign. He famously went into 'hiding' during the 2001 election, and for some time after the election had finished. Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose... The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a junior position in the British Cabinet. ...

Member of Parliament

He is a member of the Conservative Party. He is also a non executive director of N.M. Rothschild Corporate Finance Ltd (a merchant bank). The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Rothschild Coat of Arms The Mayer Amschel Rothschild family is a successful banking and finance dynasty of German Jewish origin that established operations across Europe, and was ennobled by the Austro-Hungarian and British governments. ... In banking, a merchant bank is a traditional term for an Investment Bank. ...

Shadow Cabinet

As Shadow Home Secretary he attracted plaudits for his advocacy of a "neighbourly society", which manifested itself in calls for street by street neighbourhood policing modelled on the philosophy of the police in New York. He was also largely credited with forcing the Home Secretary to withdraw his proposal in 2001 to introduce an offence of incitement to religious hatred. He successfully argued that such an offence would be impossible to define, so there would be little chance of prosecution. He also argued that Muslims would feel persecuted by such a law. In British politics, the Shadow Home Secretary is the person within the shadow cabinet who shadows the Home Secretary; this effectively means scrutinising government policy on home affairs including policing, national security, immigration, the criminal justice system, the prison service, and matters of citizenship. ...

As Shadow Chancellor he focused on reducing waste in the public sector. At the 2005 election the Conservative Party claimed to have found £35bn worth of potential savings, to be used for increased resources for front line services and for tax cuts. This approach was credited with forcing the government to introduce bureaucracy reduction and cost-cutting proposals of their own.

At the 2001 election Letwin had a majority of just 1,414 in his constituency. Given his higher profile since the previous election there was some speculation as to whether he could retain his seat if Labour voters voted tactically for the Liberal Democrats in order to unseat him. However his hugely increased and more favourable profile neutralised any increase in tactical voting and at the 2005 general election, increased his majority to 2,461. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, is a liberal political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had already been in an alliance for seven years prior to this, since not long... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ...

In May 2005, Letwin was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It was reported that he had requested a role less onerous than his former treasury brief so that he would have time to pursue his career in the City.[1]

Following the decision by Michael Howard to stand down as Conservative Party leader after the May 2005 general election, Letwin publicly backed the youngest candidate and eventual winner David Cameron, a fellow Etonian. He was subsequently given the newly created role of Chairman of the Policy Review, when Cameron formed his first shadow cabinet in December 2005. The Rt Hon. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ...

Personal life

He married Isabel Grace Davidson on 14 September 1984 in Cambridge. They have twin son and daughter born in July 1993. His grandparents were Jewish Ukrainians who moved to America. After two strangers on his London street had asked if they could use his toilet at 5 a.m. in the morning in 2002, and he charitably obliged, they then stole his credit cards and other belongings. He luckily retrieved his credit cards after chasing the accomplices in his dressing gown and pyjamas[2]. In January 2008, in a discussion on the BBC Question Time programme, Letwin stated that he is an atheist. is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... An extremely informal article of clothing worn privately in the casualness of ones home. ... Question Time is a topical debate television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. It is currently shown on BBC One at 22:35 on Thursdays, and typically features politicians from the three major political parties and other public figures who answer questions put to them by the... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ...

See also

• Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK)
• List of British Jews

The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (normally referred to simply as The Shadow Cabinet) is, in British parliamentary practice, a group of members from Her Majestys Loyal Opposition whose job it is to scrutinise their opposite numbers in government and come up with alternative policies. ... List of British Jews is a list that includes Jewish people from the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. ...

Offices held

Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... Sir James Wilton Spicer (born 4 October 1925) is a British Conservative politician. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... West Dorset is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which covers the same geographical area as the West Dorset district. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... Ann Noreen Widdecombe (born 4 October 1947) is a British Conservative Party politician. ... In British politics, the Shadow Home Secretary is the person within the shadow cabinet who shadows the Home Secretary; this effectively means scrutinising government policy on home affairs including policing, national security, immigration, the criminal justice system, the prison service, and matters of citizenship. ... David Michael Davis (born December 23, 1948) is a British politician, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Haltemprice and Howden and Shadow Home Secretary. ... The Rt Hon. ... The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... This article is on the politician. ...

Select bibliography

• Oliver Letwin (1987) Ethics, Emotion and the Unity of the Self. Routledge. ISBN 0709941102.
• Oliver Letwin and John Redwood. (1988) Britain's Biggest Enterprise - ideas for radical reform of the NHS. Centre for Policy Studies. ISBN 187026519X
• Oliver Letwin (1988) Privatizing the World: A Study of International Privatization in Theory and Practice. Thomson Learning. ISBN 0304315273
• Oliver Letwin (1989) Drift to union: Wiser ways to a wider community. Centre for Policy Studies. ISBN 1870265742
• Oliver Letwin (2003) The Neighbourly Society: Collected Speeches. Centre for Policy Studies. ISBN 1903219604

External links

• Oliver Letwin official site
• ePolitix.com - Oliver Letwin profile
• Guardian Unlimited Politics Ask Aristotle - Oliver Letwin MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Oliver Letwin MP
• The Public Whip - Oliver Letwin MP voting record
• BBC News - Oliver Letwin profile 30 March, 2006