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=== Receipt of donations associated with Russian influence ===
=== Receipt of donations associated with Russian influence ===
In 2019 and 2020 Lewis reported receiving £24,500<ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0495687|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0403902|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0403901|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0406012|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref> in total from [[Lubov Chernukhin]], a British citizen of Russian origin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests (10 August 2020: Lewis, Brandon )|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/200810/lewis_brandon.htm|access-date=2021-05-27|website=publications.parliament.uk}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|title=Search - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/Donations?currentPage=1&rows=30&query=Chernukhin&sort=AcceptedDate&order=desc&tab=1&et=pp&et=ppm&et=tp&et=perpar&et=rd&isIrishSourceYes=true&isIrishSourceNo=true&prePoll=false&postPoll=true&register=gb&register=ni&register=none&optCols=Register&optCols=CampaigningName&optCols=AccountingUnitsAsCentralParty&optCols=IsSponsorship&optCols=IsIrishSource&optCols=RegulatedDoneeType&optCols=CompanyRegistrationNumber&optCols=Postcode&optCols=NatureOfDonation&optCols=PurposeOfVisit&optCols=DonationAction&optCols=ReportedDate&optCols=IsReportedPrePoll&optCols=ReportingPeriodName&optCols=IsBequest&optCols=IsAggregation|access-date=2021-05-29|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref> Chernukhin is a former banker and the biggest female political donor in UK history.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-27|title=Lubov Chernukhin: Tories' tennis-bidding, record-setting donor|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/27/lubov-chernukhin-tories-tennis-record-donor-uk-russia|access-date=2021-05-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Reporter|first=Sean O’Neill, Chief|title=Oligarch called for investigation into rival’s wealth|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/oligarch-called-for-investigation-into-rivals-wealth-rgj99pxlj|access-date=2021-05-27|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Her husband [[Vladimir Chernukhin]] was deputy finance minister under Vladimir Putin in the early 2000s before being appointed chairman of [[VEB.RF|Vnesheconombank]] (VEB), a bank and state corporation with reported close ties to the Russian government.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-27|title=Lubov Chernukhin: Tories' tennis-bidding, record-setting donor|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/27/lubov-chernukhin-tories-tennis-record-donor-uk-russia|access-date=2021-05-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Protess|first=Ben|last2=Kramer|first2=Andrew E.|last3=McIntire|first3=Mike|date=2017-06-05|title=Bank at Center of U.S. Inquiry Projects Russian ‘Soft Power’|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/business/vnesheconombank-veb-bank-russia-trump-kushner.html|access-date=2021-05-27|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-28|title=Russian bank admits its executives met with Jared Kushner in December|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jared-kushner-russia-bank-vnesheconombank-donald-trump-son-law-ukraine-ivanka-husband-us-senate-intelligence-committee-investigation-a7654156.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> Vladimir Chernukhin reportedly received $8m in April 2016 from a British Virgin Islands company controlled by the children of [[Suleyman Kerimov]], a member of the [[Federation Council (Russia)|Federation Council]], the upper house of the Russian legislature.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-09-20|title=FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54228079|access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-21|title=Tory donor's husband 'given $8m by Kremlin-linked oligarch'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/21/tory-donors-husband-given-8m-by-kremlin-linked-oligarch|access-date=2021-05-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Suleyman Kerimov is named in the United States Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ([[Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act|CAATSA]]). In April 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on Suleyman Kerimov.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Treasury Designates Russian Oligarchs, Officials, and Entities in Response to Worldwide Malign Activity {{!}} U.S. Department of the Treasury|url=https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0338|access-date=2021-05-27|website=home.treasury.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Higgins|first=Andrew|last2=Matsnev|first2=Oleg|last3=Nechepurenko|first3=Ivan|date=2018-04-06|title=Meet the 7 Russian Oligarchs Hit by the New U.S. Sanctions|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/world/europe/russian-oligarchs-sanctions.html|access-date=2021-05-27|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Staff|first=Reuters|date=2018-04-07|title=Russian businessmen, officials on new U.S. sanctions list|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions-factbox-idUSKCN1HD22K|access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Meers|first=Jelter|title=New US Sanctions Target Russian Corruption and Crime|url=https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/7897-new-us-sanctions-target-russian-corruption-and-crime|access-date=2021-05-27|website=www.occrp.org|language=en-GB}}</ref> The majority of Lubov Chernukhin’s political donations (92% of the £2,109,279<ref>{{Cite web|title=Search - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/Donations?currentPage=1&rows=30&query=Chernukhin&sort=AcceptedDate&order=desc&tab=1&et=pp&et=ppm&et=tp&et=perpar&et=rd&isIrishSourceYes=true&isIrishSourceNo=true&prePoll=false&postPoll=true&register=gb&register=ni&register=none&optCols=Register&optCols=CampaigningName&optCols=AccountingUnitsAsCentralParty&optCols=IsSponsorship&optCols=IsIrishSource&optCols=RegulatedDoneeType&optCols=CompanyRegistrationNumber&optCols=Postcode&optCols=NatureOfDonation&optCols=PurposeOfVisit&optCols=DonationAction&optCols=ReportedDate&optCols=IsReportedPrePoll&optCols=ReportingPeriodName&optCols=IsBequest&optCols=IsAggregation|access-date=2021-05-31|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref>) came after the reported $8m payment linked to Suleyman Kerimov was made to her husband on 26 April 2016, ahead of the June 2016 [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|United Kingdom European Union membership referendum]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-09-20|title=FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54228079|access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-21|title=Tories urged to return £1.7m from donor over ‘ties to Putin ally'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lubov-chernukhin-tory-donor-putin-russia-leak-boris-johnson-david-cameron-b511856.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> Vladimir Chernukhin has previously used an intermediary to avoid publicly disclosing an interest in a transaction.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Contracting with Disclosed Principals: Who is Your Counterparty?|url=https://www.shearman.com/perspectives/2020/02/contracting-with-disclosed-principals-who-is-your-counterparty|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Shearman & Sterling|language=en}}</ref>
In 2019 and 2020 Lewis reported receiving £24,500<ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0495687|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0403902|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0403901|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View donation - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0406012|access-date=2021-05-30|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref> in total from [[Lubov Chernukhin]], a British citizen of Russian origin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests (10 August 2020: Lewis, Brandon )|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/200810/lewis_brandon.htm|access-date=2021-05-27|website=publications.parliament.uk}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|title=Search - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/Donations?currentPage=1&rows=30&query=Chernukhin&sort=AcceptedDate&order=desc&tab=1&et=pp&et=ppm&et=tp&et=perpar&et=rd&isIrishSourceYes=true&isIrishSourceNo=true&prePoll=false&postPoll=true&register=gb&register=ni&register=none&optCols=Register&optCols=CampaigningName&optCols=AccountingUnitsAsCentralParty&optCols=IsSponsorship&optCols=IsIrishSource&optCols=RegulatedDoneeType&optCols=CompanyRegistrationNumber&optCols=Postcode&optCols=NatureOfDonation&optCols=PurposeOfVisit&optCols=DonationAction&optCols=ReportedDate&optCols=IsReportedPrePoll&optCols=ReportingPeriodName&optCols=IsBequest&optCols=IsAggregation|access-date=2021-05-29|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref> Chernukhin is a former banker and the biggest female political donor in UK history.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-27|title=Lubov Chernukhin: Tories' tennis-bidding, record-setting donor|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/27/lubov-chernukhin-tories-tennis-record-donor-uk-russia|access-date=2021-05-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Reporter|first=Sean O’Neill, Chief|title=Oligarch called for investigation into rival’s wealth|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/oligarch-called-for-investigation-into-rivals-wealth-rgj99pxlj|access-date=2021-05-27|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Her husband [[Vladimir Chernukhin]] was deputy finance minister under Vladimir Putin in the early 2000s before being appointed chairman of [[VEB.RF|Vnesheconombank]] (VEB), a bank and state corporation with reported close ties to the Russian government.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-27|title=Lubov Chernukhin: Tories' tennis-bidding, record-setting donor|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/27/lubov-chernukhin-tories-tennis-record-donor-uk-russia|access-date=2021-05-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Protess|first=Ben|last2=Kramer|first2=Andrew E.|last3=McIntire|first3=Mike|date=2017-06-05|title=Bank at Center of U.S. Inquiry Projects Russian ‘Soft Power’|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/business/vnesheconombank-veb-bank-russia-trump-kushner.html|access-date=2021-05-27|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-28|title=Russian bank admits its executives met with Jared Kushner in December|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jared-kushner-russia-bank-vnesheconombank-donald-trump-son-law-ukraine-ivanka-husband-us-senate-intelligence-committee-investigation-a7654156.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> Vladimir Chernukhin reportedly received $8m in April 2016 from a British Virgin Islands company controlled by the children of [[Suleyman Kerimov]], a member of the [[Federation Council (Russia)|Federation Council]], the upper house of the Russian legislature.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-09-20|title=FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54228079|access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-21|title=Tory donor's husband 'given $8m by Kremlin-linked oligarch'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/21/tory-donors-husband-given-8m-by-kremlin-linked-oligarch|access-date=2021-05-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Suleyman Kerimov, who reportedly initiated the transaction<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-09-20|title=FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54228079|access-date=2021-06-18}}</ref>, is named in the United States Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ([[Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act|CAATSA]]). In April 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on Suleyman Kerimov.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Treasury Designates Russian Oligarchs, Officials, and Entities in Response to Worldwide Malign Activity {{!}} U.S. Department of the Treasury|url=https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0338|access-date=2021-05-27|website=home.treasury.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Higgins|first=Andrew|last2=Matsnev|first2=Oleg|last3=Nechepurenko|first3=Ivan|date=2018-04-06|title=Meet the 7 Russian Oligarchs Hit by the New U.S. Sanctions|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/world/europe/russian-oligarchs-sanctions.html|access-date=2021-05-27|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Staff|first=Reuters|date=2018-04-07|title=Russian businessmen, officials on new U.S. sanctions list|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions-factbox-idUSKCN1HD22K|access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Meers|first=Jelter|title=New US Sanctions Target Russian Corruption and Crime|url=https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/7897-new-us-sanctions-target-russian-corruption-and-crime|access-date=2021-05-27|website=www.occrp.org|language=en-GB}}</ref> The majority of Lubov Chernukhin’s political donations (92% of the £2,109,279<ref>{{Cite web|title=Search - The Electoral Commission|url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/Donations?currentPage=1&rows=30&query=Chernukhin&sort=AcceptedDate&order=desc&tab=1&et=pp&et=ppm&et=tp&et=perpar&et=rd&isIrishSourceYes=true&isIrishSourceNo=true&prePoll=false&postPoll=true&register=gb&register=ni&register=none&optCols=Register&optCols=CampaigningName&optCols=AccountingUnitsAsCentralParty&optCols=IsSponsorship&optCols=IsIrishSource&optCols=RegulatedDoneeType&optCols=CompanyRegistrationNumber&optCols=Postcode&optCols=NatureOfDonation&optCols=PurposeOfVisit&optCols=DonationAction&optCols=ReportedDate&optCols=IsReportedPrePoll&optCols=ReportingPeriodName&optCols=IsBequest&optCols=IsAggregation|access-date=2021-05-31|website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref>) came after the reported $8m payment linked to Suleyman Kerimov was made to her husband on 26 April 2016, ahead of the June 2016 [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|United Kingdom European Union membership referendum]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-09-20|title=FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54228079|access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-21|title=Tories urged to return £1.7m from donor over ‘ties to Putin ally'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lubov-chernukhin-tory-donor-putin-russia-leak-boris-johnson-david-cameron-b511856.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> Vladimir Chernukhin has previously used an intermediary to avoid publicly disclosing an interest in a transaction.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Contracting with Disclosed Principals: Who is Your Counterparty?|url=https://www.shearman.com/perspectives/2020/02/contracting-with-disclosed-principals-who-is-your-counterparty|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Shearman & Sterling|language=en}}</ref>


"[[Intelligence and Security Committee Russia report|The Russia Report]]" did not specifically address [[Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum|alleged Russian influence activities in the Brexit campaign]], but it concluded that Russian interference in UK politics is commonplace.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Did Russia Influence Brexit?|url=https://www.csis.org/blogs/brexit-bits-bobs-and-blogs/did-russia-influence-brexit|access-date=2021-05-28|website=www.csis.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-21|title=Russia report reveals UK government failed to investigate Kremlin interference|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/21/russia-report-reveals-uk-government-failed-to-address-kremlin-interference-scottish-referendum-brexit|access-date=2021-05-28|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> The [[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)|Electoral Commission]] has raised concerns about political donations to the Conservatives from Lubov Chernukhin, according to emails released to the media platform [[OpenDemocracy]] in September 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Revealed: Electoral Commission’s private concerns about Russian Tory donors|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/revealed-electoral-commissions-private-concerns-about-russian-tory-donors/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=openDemocracy|language=en}}</ref> Journalist and Russia expert [[Edward Lucas (journalist)|Edward Lucas]] who gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into Russian influence told the [[BBC]]’s [[Panorama (British TV programme)|Panorama]] programme: "''The Chernukhins, pleasant people that they might be… are not fit and proper people to make donations to a British political party.''" Lucas said he was "''profoundly concerned by the access that, not only Lubov Chernukhin but also other rich Russians have to the heights of the Conservative Party, and to the government''".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-21|title=Tories urged to return £1.7m from donor over ‘ties to Putin ally'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lubov-chernukhin-tory-donor-putin-russia-leak-boris-johnson-david-cameron-b511856.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>
"[[Intelligence and Security Committee Russia report|The Russia Report]]" did not specifically address [[Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum|alleged Russian influence activities in the Brexit campaign]], but it concluded that Russian interference in UK politics is commonplace.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Did Russia Influence Brexit?|url=https://www.csis.org/blogs/brexit-bits-bobs-and-blogs/did-russia-influence-brexit|access-date=2021-05-28|website=www.csis.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-21|title=Russia report reveals UK government failed to investigate Kremlin interference|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/21/russia-report-reveals-uk-government-failed-to-address-kremlin-interference-scottish-referendum-brexit|access-date=2021-05-28|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> The [[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)|Electoral Commission]] has raised concerns about political donations to the Conservatives from Lubov Chernukhin, according to emails released to the media platform [[OpenDemocracy]] in September 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Revealed: Electoral Commission’s private concerns about Russian Tory donors|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/revealed-electoral-commissions-private-concerns-about-russian-tory-donors/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=openDemocracy|language=en}}</ref> Journalist and Russia expert [[Edward Lucas (journalist)|Edward Lucas]] who gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into Russian influence told the [[BBC]]’s [[Panorama (British TV programme)|Panorama]] programme: "''The Chernukhins, pleasant people that they might be… are not fit and proper people to make donations to a British political party.''" Lucas said he was "''profoundly concerned by the access that, not only Lubov Chernukhin but also other rich Russians have to the heights of the Conservative Party, and to the government''".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-21|title=Tories urged to return £1.7m from donor over ‘ties to Putin ally'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lubov-chernukhin-tory-donor-putin-russia-leak-boris-johnson-david-cameron-b511856.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

Revision as of 08:03, 18 June 2021

The Right Honourable
Brandon Lewis
CBE MP
Lewis in 2020
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byJulian Smith
Minister of State for Security
Deputy for Exiting the European Union & No Deal Preparation
In office
24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byBen Wallace
Succeeded byJames Brokenshire
Minister without Portfolio
In office
8 January 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byRobert Halfon
Succeeded byJames Cleverly
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office
8 January 2018 – 24 July 2019
LeaderTheresa May
Preceded byPatrick McLoughlin
Succeeded byJames Cleverly
Minister of State for Immigration
In office
11 June 2017 – 8 January 2018
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byRobert Goodwill
Succeeded byCaroline Nokes
Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service
In office
16 July 2016 – 11 June 2017
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byMike Penning
Succeeded byNick Hurd
Minister of State for Housing and Planning[1]
In office
15 July 2014 – 16 July 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byKris Hopkins
Succeeded byGavin Barwell
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In office
4 September 2012 – 15 July 2014
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byBob Neill
Succeeded byKris Hopkins
Member of Parliament
for Great Yarmouth
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byTony Wright
Majority17,663 (40.7%)
Personal details
Born (1971-06-20) 20 June 1971 (age 53)
Harold Wood, London, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Justine Rappolt
​
(m. 1999)​
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Buckingham
King's College London
Inns of Court School of Law
Inner Temple

Brandon Kenneth Lewis CBE PC (born 20 June 1971) is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since 2020 and has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Yarmouth since 2010.

Lewis previously served as Minister of State for Housing and Planning from 2014 to 2016, Minister of State for Immigration from 2017 to 2018, Minister for Security and Deputy for EU Exit from 2019 to 2020, and Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio from 2018 to 2019.[2]

Early life and career

Lewis was born on 20 June 1971 in Harold Wood in London. He was educated at Forest School in Walthamstow.[3] He received a degree in economics from the University of Buckingham, an LLB in law from the same institution,[4] and an LLM in Commercial Law from King's College London.[3] He was called to the bar by the Inner Temple.

He was a director of Woodlands Schools Limited, a provider of private primary schools based in Hutton, Essex until September 2012 when he resigned his position.[5]

Local government

In May 1998 Lewis was first elected as a representative of the Conservative Party when he became a Borough Councillor for Hutton South on Brentwood Borough Council. He was re-elected in 2002 and 2006 with an increased vote share.[6] He later became Conservative Group leader in 2002 and leader of the council in 2004, after his party took control of the local authority. He remained in this position until 2009, when he resigned as a councillor in Essex to focus on seeking election as an MP in Norfolk.[3]

During his time as leader of the council he co-hosted The Eric and Brandon Show with local MP Eric Pickles on Phoenix FM, a local radio station in Brentwood.[7]

Parliamentary career

He stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative Party candidate for election in the Sherwood constituency in the 2001 general election; he lost to Paddy Tipping, the Labour Party candidate, with 34% of the vote.[8][9] In 2006, Lewis was selected as Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate in the Great Yarmouth constituency; he was elected at the 2010 general election, defeating sitting Labour MP Tony Wright with a majority of just over 4000 – a swing to the Conservatives of 8.7% in the seat which was number 66 on their list of target seats.[10][11]

Lewis served on the Work and Pensions Select Committee and the Regulatory Reform Select Committee from his election until 2012.[12] He has been a member of a number of All Party Parliamentary Groups, including time as the chair of the Local Growth group and co-chair of a group discussing coastal erosion. A report by the Local Growth group in September 2012, when it was chaired by Lewis, criticised the government for an "uncoordinated" approach to its Local Enterprise Partnership policy which, according to Lewis, left "gaps and weaknesses".[13][14]

In 2013 Lewis was critical of local councils, including many Conservative run councils, planning council tax rises in 2013 against the wishes of the government, saying that there was "still massive scope" for councils to cut "waste and inefficiency".[15][16][17] He has also criticised the Local Government Association for producing proposals to give local councils more freedom over their levels of council tax in the future.[18]

In the House of Commons he has previously sat on the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, the Work and Pensions Committee and the Regulatory Reform Committee.[19]

Ministerial career

In September 2012 Lewis, was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government, working under Eric Pickles. In July 2014, Lewis was promoted to Minister of State for Housing and Planning, when the Prime Minister brought the portfolios of Housing and Planning together for the first time under his premiership.[20] He claimed that there had been a "dramatic swing" in public opinion - with almost half of people now in favour of new housing in their area.[21] This related to the new National Planning Policy Framework, the primary framework for town planning in the country, which some argued made it substantially easier for developers to build on greenfield land.

In January 2016, the Labour Party unsuccessfully proposed an amendment in Parliament that would have required private landlords to make their homes "fit for human habitation". According to Parliament's register of interests, Lewis was one of 72 Conservative MPs who voted against the amendment who personally derived an income from renting out property. The Conservative Government had responded to the amendment that they believed homes should be fit for human habitation but did not want to pass the new law that would explicitly require it.[22]

He supported the United Kingdom remaining a member of the European Union in the 2016 EU membership referendum.[23] In July 2016, Lewis was promoted to be the Minister of State for the Home Office with a portfolio including Police and Fire services, as well as Europol and Interpol.[24]

On 29 September 2016, he was appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and may therefore use the title "The Right Honourable".[25]

Following the Grenfell disaster, Lewis was criticised for having rejected calls to increase fire safety regulations in his former role as housing minister. He had argued that legislating to mandate sprinklers in high rise buildings was the wrong approach as water-based sprinklers were inappropriate for electrical fires.[26]

Chairman of the Conservative Party

In a January 2018 cabinet reshuffle, Lewis was promoted to chairman of the Conservative Party, succeeding long-time cabinet member Patrick McLoughlin. Lewis was also appointed Minister without portfolio.[27]

On 19 July, Government Chief Whip Julian Smith was reported to be resisting calls to resign his position, following allegations that he had instructed five Conservative Party MPs to break "pairing" agreements in an important parliamentary vote the previous day. Lewis was the only one to comply with the instruction. Subsequent reports indicated that Smith had given similar instructions to five MPs, but that Lewis had been the only one willing to break what one commentator described later as "a centuries old ‘code of honour’". Before it became known that the affair had involved approaches by Smith to more than one MP, the then Prime Minister Theresa May backed Lewis by stating that "The breaking of the pair was done in error. It wasn't good enough and will not be repeated."[28]

Brexit

In 2019, Lewis voted for May's Brexit withdrawal agreement.[29] In July 2019, Lewis was appointed Minister of State for Security and Deputy for EU Exit by new Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[30] In February 2020 he moved to be the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as part of a cabinet reshuffle under Johnson.[31]

In September 2020, Lewis provoked controversy when he conceded that a bill designed to amend the United Kingdom's withdrawal agreement with the European Union would "break international law" in a "specific and limited way".[32]

Campaigns

Lewis has run a variety of campaigns as Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth. Campaigns have included opposing the removal of free bus passes for school children in Belton & Burgh Castle,[33] cutting fuel duty,[34] protecting Norfolk bus services,[35] and improving Great Yarmouth railway station.[36]

As the local MP, Lewis declined initially to support local campaigners who were fighting against the Conservative run county council's controversial plans for the proposed King's Lynn incinerator. By 2012 he had joined all fellow local MPs in expressing concern with the proposal and, after a change in leadership of the county council, the plans for the incinerator were dropped in 2014.[37][38][39]

Expenses

Lewis stood for Parliament in 2010 on a "clean expenses pledge", pledging to be "completely open about my expenses".[40] In 2010–2011 Lewis claimed just over £15,000 in accommodation expenses and in 2011–12 and 2012–13 he claimed just under £21,500 for accommodation.[41] Labour MPs called upon IPSA to investigate whether Lewis was using taxpayer funds for inappropriate political purposes after it was revealed that he had claimed £37,000 for "research briefing and other parliamentary associated assistance" to a political campaign consultancy.[42][needs update]

In August 2015, it was reported that Lewis claimed £31,000 of hotel expenses over a two-year period following stays at the Park Plaza hotel near Parliament. Lewis stated that he opted to stay in London rather than travel home to Essex and all the claims complied with parliamentary rules.[43]

Receipt of donations associated with Russian influence

In 2019 and 2020 Lewis reported receiving £24,500[44][45][46][47] in total from Lubov Chernukhin, a British citizen of Russian origin.[48] [49] Chernukhin is a former banker and the biggest female political donor in UK history.[50][51] Her husband Vladimir Chernukhin was deputy finance minister under Vladimir Putin in the early 2000s before being appointed chairman of Vnesheconombank (VEB), a bank and state corporation with reported close ties to the Russian government.[52][53][54] Vladimir Chernukhin reportedly received $8m in April 2016 from a British Virgin Islands company controlled by the children of Suleyman Kerimov, a member of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian legislature.[55][56] Suleyman Kerimov, who reportedly initiated the transaction[57], is named in the United States Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). In April 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on Suleyman Kerimov.[58][59][60][61] The majority of Lubov Chernukhin’s political donations (92% of the £2,109,279[62]) came after the reported $8m payment linked to Suleyman Kerimov was made to her husband on 26 April 2016, ahead of the June 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.[63][64] Vladimir Chernukhin has previously used an intermediary to avoid publicly disclosing an interest in a transaction.[65]

"The Russia Report" did not specifically address alleged Russian influence activities in the Brexit campaign, but it concluded that Russian interference in UK politics is commonplace.[66][67] The Electoral Commission has raised concerns about political donations to the Conservatives from Lubov Chernukhin, according to emails released to the media platform OpenDemocracy in September 2020.[68] Journalist and Russia expert Edward Lucas who gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into Russian influence told the BBC’s Panorama programme: "The Chernukhins, pleasant people that they might be… are not fit and proper people to make donations to a British political party." Lucas said he was "profoundly concerned by the access that, not only Lubov Chernukhin but also other rich Russians have to the heights of the Conservative Party, and to the government".[69]

Viktor Fedotov and Alexander Temerko are the ultimate owners of Aquind[70] a company behind a proposed interconnector project[71][72] that would form part of Critical National Infrastructure in the UK. Both men, now UK citizens, hold their ownership in Aquind via Luxembourg holding companies.[73] Temerko is a Director of Aquind[74] and has donated more than £1.3m to the Conservative Party.[75] Aquind is reported to have donated £243,000 to the Conservative Party.[76][77][78] Per the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: "Aquind ... together with its director Alexander Temerko, has donated to the Tory chancellor Rishi Sunak, business secretary Alok Sharma and Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis".[79][80]

Shadow security minister Conor McGinn said: "The scathing Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament report on Russia was clear that protecting our democratic discourse and processes from hostile foreign interference is a central responsibility of government, and should be a ministerial priority ... These revelations create serious questions for the Government to answer about how effectively they are discharging that duty and whether there are any conflicting interests that have emerged as a result of these donations."[81]

On the Andrew Marr Show of 08 Dec 2019, BBC interviewer Andrew Marr asked Lewis: “Has there been Russian money funding the Conservative Party in this campaign?” Lewis responded: “No. The funding for the Conservative Party comes from people who are declared through the Electoral Commission and are British citizens. And it is quite right that anybody who is a British citizen has a right to play their part in our country’s politics and to donate to a political party if they want to.”[82] The Conservatives reported receiving £200,000 from Lubov Chernukhin on 06 November 2019[83] and £7,400 on 04 November 2019.[84]

Personal life

Lewis married Justine Rappolt in 1999; the couple have two children.[3] He completed the London Marathon in 2005 and 2008 and lists triathlon as an interest.[3][85] He is a member of the Carlton Club.[3]

References

  1. ^ styled as Minister of State for Housing and Local Government (2014-2015)
  2. ^ "Lewis made Tory chairman in reshuffle". BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f ‘LEWIS, Brandon’, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012 ; online edn, Nov 2012 accessed 2013-05-28.
  4. ^ "The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP". Government UK. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  5. ^ Lewis, Brandon (Great Yarmouth), Register of Members' Financial Interests: Part 1. As of 7 May 2013, www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Brentwood Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Plymouth University. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  7. ^ Walker, Tim (2 November 2009). "The Couch Surfer: 'If political parties insist on invading pop culture, they won't re-engage anybody'". The Independent. Independent News and Media Limited. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  8. ^ Brandon Lewis: Electoral history and profile The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2013
  9. ^ "Vote 2001: Sherwood". BBC News Online. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2001. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  10. ^ Election rivals fight for support in Great Yarmouth, BBC Election 2010, 29 April 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  11. ^ Great Yarmouth, BBC Election 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  12. ^ Brandon Lewis, www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  13. ^ Impartiality of local enterprise partnerships 'at risk', Daily Telegraph, 11 September 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  14. ^ 'Unco-ordinated' government is a barrier to business engagement, Guardian - Local government network, 13 September 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  15. ^ Defiant councils planning tax rises, Daily Telegraph, 14 February 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  16. ^ One in three town halls to defy Eric Pickles and hike council tax in April, The Daily Telegraph, 14 February 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  17. ^ Council tax revolt forces up bills, The Daily Telegraph, 28 February 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  18. ^ Minister attacks councils for pushing for tax hikes, The Daily Telegraph, 9 May 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  19. ^ "Brandon Lewis". Parliament UK. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  20. ^ Kelly, Liam (15 July 2014). "Brandon Lewis promoted to housing and planning minister in reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  21. ^ Hope, Christopher (25 July 2014). "New planning minister suggests Nimbys have had their day". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  22. ^ "Tories vote down law requiring landlords make their homes fit for human habitation". Independent. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  23. ^ "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
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  26. ^ "Grenfell Tower: Tory minister urged against including sprinklers in fire safety rules as it could discourage house building". Independent. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
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  28. ^ Joe Murphy; Nicholas Cecil (19 July 2018). "Tory chief whip Julian Smith urged to quit over pairing deal 'error'". Evening Standard, London. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  29. ^ "How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat". Financial Times. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019.
  30. ^ Minister of State for Security and Deputy for EU Exit and No Deal Preparation - GOV.UK
  31. ^ "Brandon Lewis named new NI Secretary of State". www.rte.ie.
  32. ^ "Minister: New bill will 'break international law'". BBC News. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  33. ^ "Belton Burgh Castle School Bus Services". Brandon Lewis. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  34. ^ "Fair Fuel UK". Brandon Lewis. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  35. ^ "Fair Fares Protecting our buses". Brandon Lewis. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  36. ^ "Fix Great Yarmouth Station". Brandon Lewis. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  37. ^ "Six Norfolk MPs urge communities secretary Eric Pickles to call in King's Lynn incinerator plan". Eastern Daily Press. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  38. ^ "All nine Norfolk MPs back King's Lynn incinerator call-in". Eastern Daily Press. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  39. ^ "King's Lynn incinerator: Plans for £500m scheme abandoned". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  40. ^ About my Parliamentary expenses Archived 4 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Brandon Lewis. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  41. ^ Brandon Lewis, Conservative, Great Yarmouth CC, Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. Retrieved 28 May 2013. Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  42. ^ Fisher, Lucy (10 March 2015). "Row over £37,000 expenses engulfs housing minister". The Times. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  43. ^ Sinclair, Andrew (24 August 2015). "Housing Minister Brandon Lewis defends £31,000 hotel claims". BBC News. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  44. ^ "View donation - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
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  48. ^ "House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests (10 August 2020: Lewis, Brandon )". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  49. ^ "Search - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  50. ^ "Lubov Chernukhin: Tories' tennis-bidding, record-setting donor". the Guardian. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  51. ^ Reporter, Sean O’Neill, Chief. "Oligarch called for investigation into rival's wealth". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 May 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  53. ^ Protess, Ben; Kramer, Andrew E.; McIntire, Mike (5 June 2017). "Bank at Center of U.S. Inquiry Projects Russian 'Soft Power'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  54. ^ "Russian bank admits its executives met with Jared Kushner in December". The Independent. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  55. ^ "FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding". BBC News. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  56. ^ "Tory donor's husband 'given $8m by Kremlin-linked oligarch'". the Guardian. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  57. ^ "FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding". BBC News. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
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  59. ^ Higgins, Andrew; Matsnev, Oleg; Nechepurenko, Ivan (6 April 2018). "Meet the 7 Russian Oligarchs Hit by the New U.S. Sanctions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
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  64. ^ "Tories urged to return £1.7m from donor over 'ties to Putin ally'". The Independent. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  65. ^ "Contracting with Disclosed Principals: Who is Your Counterparty?". Shearman & Sterling. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
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  68. ^ "Revealed: Electoral Commission's private concerns about Russian Tory donors". openDemocracy. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
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  70. ^ "Tory donor takes control of firm seeking UK approval to build cross-Channel cable". the Guardian. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  71. ^ "Interconnector Portsmouth – AQUIND Interconnector is a subsea and underground High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electric power transmission link between the South Coast of England and Normandy in France". Retrieved 10 June 2021.
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  74. ^ "AQUIND LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  75. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/17/tory-donor-alexander-temerko-calls-for-russia-report-to-be-published. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  76. ^ "Major Donor to Britain's Conservative Party Linked to Russian Corruption Scandal – Latest US and World Breaking News". Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  77. ^ "Local authority accuses secretive Russian Tory donor's firm of 'abusing planning laws'". openDemocracy. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  78. ^ O’Neill, Emanuele Midolo, George Greenwood, Tom Parfitt, Sean. "Revealed: Viktor Fedotov is tycoon behind Aquind energy project". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 10 June 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  81. ^ "Tories urged to return £1.7m from donor over 'ties to Putin ally'". The Independent. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
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  83. ^ "View donation - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  84. ^ "View donation - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  85. ^ Brandon Lewis, Biography, politics.co.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Great Yarmouth
2010–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for Housing and Planning
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded byas Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Criminal Justice Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Services
2016–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Immigration
2017–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Conservative Party
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister without Portfolio
2018–2019
Preceded by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
2020–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brandon_Lewis&oldid=1029160091"