Letwin primarily refers to Oliver Letwin, a prominent British politician.
Oliver Simon Letwin (born 19 May 1956) is a British former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Dorset from 1997 to 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he held several key positions in government and shadow government roles.
Early Life and Education Letwin was born in London to parents William Letwin, an American academic and economist, and Shirley Robin Letwin (née Redlich), an American philosopher and political theorist. He was educated at Eton College before attending Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a first-class degree in economics. He subsequently pursued graduate studies at Princeton University.
Early Career Before entering Parliament, Letwin had a career in finance. He worked for the merchant bank N M Rothschild & Sons, where he became a director.
Political Career
- Member of Parliament: Oliver Letwin was first elected as the MP for West Dorset in the 1997 general election. He held this seat for 22 years, until he stood down at the 2019 general election.
- Shadow Cabinet Roles: During the Conservative Party's period in opposition, Letwin served in various shadow cabinet positions. These included Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Shadow Home Secretary, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
- Government Roles: When the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government was formed in 2010, Letwin was appointed Minister for Government Policy in the Cabinet Office. In this role, he was a key policy coordinator for Prime Minister David Cameron. After the 2015 general election, when the Conservatives formed a majority government, he was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, retaining his role as Minister for Government Policy, with responsibilities for the Cabinet Office and the implementation of government policy across departments. He left the government in 2016 following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister.
- Brexit and Independent Group: Letwin played a significant role in the parliamentary debates surrounding Brexit. He was a leading advocate for a deal with the European Union and was instrumental in orchestrating cross-party efforts to prevent a no-deal Brexit. Notably, the "Letwin Amendment" in 2019 sought to require parliamentary approval of a Brexit deal before the UK could leave the EU. He was one of 21 Conservative MPs who had the whip removed in September 2019 after voting against the government to allow a bill (the Benn Act) designed to block a no-deal Brexit to proceed. He subsequently sat as an independent Conservative before not seeking re-election.
Post-Parliamentary Career Since leaving Parliament, Letwin has continued to be involved in policy discussions and academic work.