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Who is Jeremy Hunt? New UK chancellor who backed Sunak in leadership race | Who is Jeremy Hunt? New UK chancellor who backed Sunak in leadership race |
(32 minutes later) | |
Jeremy Hunt, who oversaw the London Olympics as culture secretary and also served as health secretary, has been named as the UK's new chancellor. | Jeremy Hunt, who oversaw the London Olympics as culture secretary and also served as health secretary, has been named as the UK's new chancellor. |
He takes over at a critical time for the UK economy after weeks of financial turmoil and uncertainty over the recently proposed mini-budget. | He takes over at a critical time for the UK economy after weeks of financial turmoil and uncertainty over the recently proposed mini-budget. |
His predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng has been sacked by the prime minister. | His predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng has been sacked by the prime minister. |
Mr Hunt is a big name in the Conservative party - and in the Tory leadership race, he put his weight behind former chancellor Rishi Sunak over Liz Truss. | Mr Hunt is a big name in the Conservative party - and in the Tory leadership race, he put his weight behind former chancellor Rishi Sunak over Liz Truss. |
This was after getting eliminated from the contest himself early on, having failed to get enough votes to go any further. | This was after getting eliminated from the contest himself early on, having failed to get enough votes to go any further. |
He had stood for the top job before - and in 2019 he nearly made it, finishing second in the leadership race with Boris Johnson named as the winner. | He had stood for the top job before - and in 2019 he nearly made it, finishing second in the leadership race with Boris Johnson named as the winner. |
Jeremy Hunt: The basics | Jeremy Hunt: The basics |
Age: 55 | Age: 55 |
Childhood: Grew up in Godalming, Surrey | Childhood: Grew up in Godalming, Surrey |
Education: Oxford University, obtaining a First in philosophy, politics and economics | Education: Oxford University, obtaining a First in philosophy, politics and economics |
Family: Married to Lucia Hunt, three children | |
Parliamentary constituency: South West Surrey | Parliamentary constituency: South West Surrey |
Mr Hunt, the fourth chancellor this year, was brought up in the Surrey town of Godalming and attended Charterhouse School, where he became head boy and was known for his love of cross-country running. | |
At Oxford University he put his name out into the political sphere when he served as president of the Conservative Association. | At Oxford University he put his name out into the political sphere when he served as president of the Conservative Association. |
But prior to his career in parliament, Mr Hunt had a career as an English teacher in Japan and as an entrepreneur - co-founding the Hotcourses universities directory. | |
He was elected as the MP for South West Surrey at the 2005 general election, taking over from Virginia Bottomley. | He was elected as the MP for South West Surrey at the 2005 general election, taking over from Virginia Bottomley. |
From 2005 to 2007 he was the shadow minister for disabled people as a reward for supporting David Cameron - who attended Oxford University at the same time as him - in the Conservative leadership contest. | From 2005 to 2007 he was the shadow minister for disabled people as a reward for supporting David Cameron - who attended Oxford University at the same time as him - in the Conservative leadership contest. |
Then when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government was formed in 2010, Mr Hunt joined the cabinet as secretary of state for culture, Olympics, media and sport. | Then when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government was formed in 2010, Mr Hunt joined the cabinet as secretary of state for culture, Olympics, media and sport. |
It was an important role in the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics, during which he worked closely with Mr Johnson, who was Mayor of London at the time. | It was an important role in the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics, during which he worked closely with Mr Johnson, who was Mayor of London at the time. |
In September 2012, Mr Hunt was appointed heath secretary. | In September 2012, Mr Hunt was appointed heath secretary. |
He held office during a slow period of investment in the NHS which created big problems, amid times when demands on the health service were growing. | He held office during a slow period of investment in the NHS which created big problems, amid times when demands on the health service were growing. |
Junior doctors took to picket lines in 2016 over pay and consitions | |
During this period, the former health secretary was criticised for his handling of the junior doctor contract row. | |
He proposed contracts that would mean evenings and Saturdays would be considered "normal" rather than "unsocial" hours and would no longer attract overtime pay. This led to junior doctors tweeting pictures of themselves working weekends and late shifts with the hashtag #ImInWorkJeremy. | |
Junior doctors also took part in a series of walk outs in 2016 - on two occasions, between 08:00 and 17:00, leaving emergency care uncovered - the first time that had ever happened in the history of the NHS. | |
Public support was high and a new contract for junior doctors was later imposed. | |
But Mr Hunt did go on to secure a funding increase for the NHS and also oversaw the introduction of an Ofsted-style system for rating hospitals and GP surgeries in England. | |
During the 2016 EU referendum, Mr Hunt was a remain campaigner, but afterwards said he would support leave. | |
His long-running appointment as health secretary ended when he became foreign secretary in July 2018. This was after his predecessor Mr Johnson quit over Theresa May's Brexit strategy. | |
During his time as foreign secretary between 2018-19 Mr Hunt tried to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who had been held in Iran on spying charges, which she always denied. | |
After her release, he accused the UK of "diplomatic failure" and said global co-operation was needed to "stamp out" states taking people hostage. | |
Watch: 'I'm backing Rishi Sunak' - Jeremy Hunt | Watch: 'I'm backing Rishi Sunak' - Jeremy Hunt |
Watch: 'I'm backing Rishi Sunak' - Jeremy Hunt | Watch: 'I'm backing Rishi Sunak' - Jeremy Hunt |
In March 2019, he became the first Western foreign minister to visit Yemen since conflict there began. | |
After losing to Mr Johnson in the 2019 leadership race, Mr Hunt said the campaign was "always going to be uphill" for him because he voted Remain in the 2016 EU referendum. | |
He was elected to head a committee of MPs which scrutinises the performance of the NHS and government health policy in January 2020, saying he was "honoured". | |
In June this year, he revealed he had had cancer but had now recovered. He said at the time that "every member of his family" has had the disease and that he had "a minor one" himself. | |
Recently Mr Hunt made headlines appearing at an infected-blood inquiry where he called the scandal a "huge failing of democracy". |