Julian Knight | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee | |
| In office 29 January 2020 – 25 April 2023[a] | |
| Preceded by | Damian Collins |
| Succeeded by | Damian Green (acting) |
| Member of Parliament for Solihull | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Lorely Burt |
| Majority | 21,273 (38.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 January 1972 Chester, Cheshire, England |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (until 7 December 2022) |
| Spouse | Philippa Harrison |
| Alma mater | University of Hull |
| Website | Official website |
Julian Knight[1] (born 5 January 1972) is a British politician and former journalist who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Solihull since 2015. He was a member of the Conservative Party,[2] but sits in the House of Commons as an independent since December 2022, having had the Conservative Party whip suspended after the Metropolitan Police received a referral involving allegations of sexual assault. Knight said he was "entirely innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever". Essex police have since begun an investigation into these allegations.[3]
Knight was born in 1972 in Chester. He grew up in a lone-parent family.[4]
After university, Knight returned to Chester where he worked for a number of electrical retailers before moving to London to sell advertising for The Sun Newspaper. He later worked for the BBC as personal finance and consumer affairs reporter for five years until 2007, working across television, radio and online. In 2007 he became the Money and Property Editor of The Independent on Sunday.[5]
In April 2015, Knight was criticised by Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury,[6] for a book he authored eleven years earlier on tax avoidance. In his 2004 book, Wills, Probate and Inheritance Tax for Dummies, Knight "sets out ways that hardworking parents can pass on the graft of a lifetime" to their children. In the book, he was critical of the system of inheritance tax that existed at the point of publishing. He distinguished between personal tax avoidance, which he advised families on, and the "aggressive tax avoidance" of some multinational companies.[7]
In 2014, Knight was selected to be the Conservative candidate for Solihull,[8][9] a former Conservative safe seat which had been won by the Liberal Democrats in the 2005 General Election.[10][11] At the 2015 general election Knight won the seat back for the Conservatives with a majority of 12,902, after an 11.9 per cent swing towards the Conservatives.[12]
Prior to the 2016 UK referendum on European Union membership, Knight stated he would vote to remain in the EU.[13]
Knight defended his seat at the 2017 general election and was returned with an increased majority.[12]
In January 2018, Knight was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Justice[14] providing support to Ministers. In September 2018 he moved to the Department for Work and Pensions before moving to HM Treasury in January 2019.
Knight also served as the Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to Mongolia, where he formed part of a network of parliamentarians with the role of strengthening relations with foreign countries, and helping British businesses in accessing foreign markets.[15] In April 2018, Knight made his first visit to the country as Trade Envoy.[16] Knight made his final visit in September 2018, and left the post at a later date.[17]
Knight defended his seat during the 2019 General Election. He increased his majority, this time to 21,273.[18] Labour came second and the Liberal Democrats were placed third.[19]
In December 2021, Knight said there was a "real sense of palpable loss" over the death of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in Solihull. Knight said the sentences given to the killers of the boy were too lenient and he would be referring the sentences to the Attorney General's Office for review under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.[20]
In April 2022, following the Prime Minister Boris Johnson's apology after being given a fixed penalty notice for breaking Covid-19 regulations, Knight said that due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine it was "not the right time to change the leadership of the country."[21][22]
In July 2022, Knight backed Liz Truss to become Conservative leader, saying "Liz can re-unite our country and as your local Member of Parliament, I hope I have outlined why I believe Liz Truss will make the best Prime Minister to serve the interests of residents in Solihull."[23]
On 7 December 2022, Knight was suspended as a Conservative MP after a complaint was made to the Metropolitan Police. A Conservative Party spokeswoman did not provide further details as it was under investigation.[24] The following day, the Metropolitan Police said that it had received a report of "allegations of sexual assault against unnamed victims" on 28 October 2022 and after a further referral on 7 December 2022 had started an investigation. Knight stated he was "entirely innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever". He said that he subsequently received "explicit threats involving blackmail as well as being at the centre of a campaign of rumour and innuendo" which was being dealt with by his lawyers.[25] Knight was never arrested or interviewed by the police; on 29 March 2023, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Metropolitan Police, but was not reinstated to the parliamentary Conservative Party following "further complaints".[26]
From July 2015 to April 2017, Knight served as a member of the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee,[27] during which time he co-sponsored the Government's Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.[28]
He was a member of the Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee, later the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee from December 2016 until April 2023.[27] In that role he made several interventions, including on the BBC gender pay row[29][30] and against Facebook and digital company Cambridge Analytica during the committee's inquiry into 'fake news'.[31][32] In January 2020, Knight was elected as Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Knight replaced Damian Collins as chairman.[5]
Knight announced he was recusing himself from Parliament until a complaint made about him to the Metropolitan Police had been resolved; he thus temporarily stepped down as DCMS Chair from January to March 2023, with Damian Green acting in his absence.[33]
Knight announced in April 2023 that he would be resigning the Chair of the DCMS Select Committee, and would not contest the next general election.[34] Speaking of his resignation as an MP, Knight said, "I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that no job or political career is worth this."
In May 2023 one of the cases of sexual assault against Knight was referred to Essex Police and continues to be investigated at the time of writing.[35]
Knight has written books on a variety of subjects for the For Dummies series, including the Euro crisis, Retiring Wealthy and The Royal Wedding.[36]
Knight lives in Solihull. He is married to Philippa, a former nurse.[37]
