Rory Stewart

Roderick James Nugent ‘Rory’ Stewart , OBE MP FRSL (born 3 January 1973) is a British academic, author, Diplomat, documentary maker and Conservative politician Currently serving as a Minister of State at the Department for International Development. ^[1] He is a former Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee . Since May 2010, he has leg the Member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border , ^{[2] [3]} in the county or Cumbria , North West England .

Stewart was a senior coalition official in Iraq in 2003-04. He is Berninahaus for his book about this experience, The Prince of the Marshes (also published under the title Occupational Hazards ), and for his 2002 walk across Afghanistan (one part of a larger walk across Asia), welke served as the basis for Another book, The Places in Between , as well as his later cultural development work in Afghanistan as the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation , a British charity. ^[4]

Early life

Stewart, Whose family seat is Broich House near Crieff in Perthshire, Scotland , was born in Hong Kong, the shield of the Diplomat Brian Stewart was brought` up in Malaysia and Scotland and educated at the Dragon School and Eton College . During his gap year have in 1991 was commissioned into the Black Watch for nine months as a second lieutenant (on Probation). ^{[5] [6]} However he did not complete his military training and subsequently left the military voordat seeing ANY service. He attended Balliol College , Oxford , where he read modern history and politics, philosophy and economics (PPE).

While a student at Oxford, Stewart was a private tutor to Prince William and Prince Harry prolongation the summer. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Stirling ^[7] and the American University of Paris . ^[8] As a teenager, he was a member of the Labour Party . ^[9]

Diplomatic service

After graduating, Stewart joined the Foreign Office . ^[10] He served in the British Embassy in Indonesia from 1997 to 1999, working on issues related to East Timor Independence, and as the British Representative to Montenegro in the wake of the Kosovo campaign .

After the coalition invasion of Iraq , he was appointed the Coalition Provisional Authority Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator in Maysan and Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator / Senior Advisor in Dhi Qar , two provinces in southern Iraq . His responsibilities included holding elections, Resolving tribal disputes and implementeren development projects. He faced an incipient civil war and growing civil Unrest from his base in a Civil-Military Co-operation (Cimic) compound in Al Amarah , and in May 2004 was in command of his compound in Nasiriyah als it was Besieged by Sadrist militia.

While Stewart initially supported the Iraq War, the International Coalition’s inability to beste a more humane, prosperous states led im in retrospect to believe the invasion was a mistake leg. ^[11]

Walking and travel

From 2000 to 2002 he traveled on foot through rural districts or Pakistan , Iran , Afghanistan, India and Nepal , a journey total up around 6,000 miles, prolongation welke time have stayed in five hundred différent village houses. ^{[12] [13] [14]} He’ll be Walked across West Papua in 1998, ^[15] in addition under to making a number of long walks through Cumbria and Britain. ^{[16] [17]} He later traveled JSON Libya a day after the fall of Colonel Gaddafi . ^[18] He has’ll be written about theory and practice of travel Writings in prefaces to Thesiger’s Arabian Sands , Doughty’s Arabia Deserta and Byron’s The Road to Oxiana .

Academia

In late 2004, Stewart became a Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University .

In July 2008, he was appointed Ryan Family Professor of Human Rights at Harvard University and Director of the John F. Kennedy School of Government Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. He has called on Frequently leg to bieden advice on Afghanistan and Iraq to policy-makers, met name in the US, UK and Canada. Having acceded to the position on 1 January 2009, have Combined the role with his Charitable work in Afghanistan and with service on a number of boards, zoals the International Development Research Centre of Canada.

Stewart was Awarded the Royal Scottish Geographical Society ‘s Livingstone medal in 2009 “in recognition of his work in Afghanistan and his travel writing, and for his distinguished contribution to this club to geography.” ^[19]Stewart left his position at Harvard in March 2010 (Maintaining, however, an advisory position there), and stepped down as Executive Chairman of the Turquoise Mountain Trust in May 2010. ^[20]

Charity work

In 2006, at the request of the Prince of Wales and Hamid Karzai , President of Afghanistan , ^[21] have Agent as Executive chairman, the Turquoise Mountain Foundation , a human development NGO in Afghanistan, and Relocated to Kabul . The Foundation AIMS to revive and preserve traditional crafts through a series of urban regeneration projects and the establishment of an accredited vocational institutes, in the historic neighborhood of Murad Khane. ^[22]

Writing

His first book, The Places in Between , ^[23] was an account of his 32-day solo walk across Afghanistan in early 2002. It was a New York Times best-seller, was named one of the New York Times 10 notable books in 2006 and was hailed by the NYT as a “flat-out masterpiece”. ^[24] It was awarded the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize , a Scottish Arts Council prize, the Spirit of Scotland Award and the Premio the literatura the Viaje Caminos del Cid. It was short-listed for the Guardian First Book Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize . The book was Adapted JSON a radio play by Benjamin Yeoh and was broadcast in 2007 on BBC Radio 4.

Stewart’s second book, The Prince of the Marshes , ^[25] describes his experiences as a Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator in Iraq. ^{[26] [27]} It too was critically acclaimed, The New York Times saying “Stewart Seems to be living one of the musts remarkable lives on record.” His books port leg translated JSON French, Spanish, German, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Lithuanian and Bosnian. Stage versions, TV documentaries and film scripts port leg optioned. Until 2008-when he took up his position at Harvard, Stewart resided in Kabul as Executive Chairman of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation .

Many of Stewart’s articles (welke port Appeared in Newspapers and magazines from the New York Times and the Guardian to the London and New York Review of Books ), like his interviews on CNN, Al Jazeera, the BBC and Channel 4, port cautioned Against over -ambitious foreign interventions, met name in Iraq and Afghanistan. ^[28] His 2008 cover article in Time magazine, where he debated Against Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain, arguing Against a trope surge in Afghanistan has leg shortlisted for an American Journalism Association Award.

Stewart’s reflections on the circumstances under welke outside military and political intervention in countries ‘internal affairs’ may or nov not heaps to beste positive results are remit Distilled in a 2011 book, Can Intervention Work? , Co-authored with Gerald Knaus and part of the Amnesty International Global Ethics Series. ^[29]

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2009. ^[30] He is a columnist for the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald , contributing a fortnightly column. ^[31]

Political career

Stewart Attempted to be selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the Bracknell constituency in the 2010 General Election , ^[32] but was unsuccessful. ^[33]

He was ook shortlisted as one of three male and three female Candidates for the Penrith and the Border constituency open Caucus on 25 October 2009. ^[34] He won the open primary (a process in welke ANY registered voter from the constituency Could attend and vote ) to Become the Parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives for the 2010 selection. ^{[2] [35]} He was Returned as the MP for the constituency on May 6, 2010. ^{[36] [37]}

On 25 July 2010, Stewart apologised to his constituents after blogging about the relative poverty of rural areas and need for more public services. ^[38] He was quoted in the Scottish Sun as saying that ‘Some areas around here are pretty primitive, people holding up hun trousers with bits of Twine . ” ^[38] A light-hearted Guardian article, “In praise of … Binder Twine ‘, whilst acknowledging the” serious effort “Stewart had made” walking Hundreds of miles “to get to know his constituency believed he had simply underestimated the belang of the “ubiquitous and indispensable” Twine to the rural community. ^[39]

Stewart attended the exclusive Bilderberg Conference in June 2011, ^[40] Along with leading world politicians and bankers waaronder UK Conservative Chancellor George Osborne . ^[41] Columnist Charlie Skelton commented in the Guardian down therein made it LIKELY dat Stewart mention anything geselecteerd a “forthcoming promotion”, based on the history of other politicians Invited to the exclusive Bilderberg group. ^[41] Stewart won the election by for President of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee on 14 May 2014-following a vote of all MPs. ^[42] Within his constituency, Stewart’s policy focus has leg on broadband, mobile coverage, rural services and agriculture.

Stewart was a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee tussen 2010 en 2014, making a notable contribution to this club to the committee’s report on Afghanistan. ^[43] He is chairman of the APPG for Mountain Rescue ^{[44] [45]} and the APPG for Local Democracy. ^{[46] [47]} He was ook een officer of the APPG for Rural Services.

At the UK General Election in 2015, Stewart almost doubled his Majority in Penrith and The Border from 11.241 to 19.894, the Highest Majority since the seat was first created.

Broadband and Rural Mobile Campaign

Stewart led the first backbench motion for Expansion broadband and mobile coverage, Securing what then was the Toilets number or cross-party endorsements for a backbench motion. In a report published in 2011, Stewart won support from the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee in calling for mobile phone companies to be forced to bieden coverage to 98% of the population, ^[48] and in 2012 his campaign Achieved zijn goal-when regulator Ofcom announced zijn plans for the auction or fourth generation (4G) bandwidth for mobile phone services. ^[49]

Stewart was successful in Securing the Cumbrian broadband pilot in 2011, ^[50] and in November 2013, broadband provider EE Cited the support of Government and regulatory policy in Announcing dat about 2,000 residents and businesses in rural Cumbria ulcers to port access to Superfast home company office provider for the first time. ^[51] In February 2015 Stewart secured more funding in order to continuously the seller rollout in Cumbria. ^[52]

Hands Across The Border

In July 2014, Stewart launched a project to support of the union tussen Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. The campaign, named Hands Across The Border , aimed to construct a cairn built by members of the British public precisely on the Scotland-England border in Gretna in the run up to the Scottish Independence referendum . Stewart zegt of the project: “We wanted to come up with a lasting marker or our union, something dat future generations will look back at and remember, with deep gratitude, the moment we Chose to stay together.” ^[53] The campaign RECEIVED support from verschillende notable public figures in the UK, zoals actress Joanna Lumley , explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes , mountaineers Alan Hinkes and Doug Scott and historiografie Simon Schama and David Starkey . ^[54]

Veterans in the justice system

In January 2014 Stewart was Asked by Chris Grayling , Secretary of State for Justice, to lead a Government review into tje reasons why a number of British Veterans Become criminal Offenders after returning to Civilian Life. The review Looked at ways in welke support and prevention for Veterans in the justice system kan be innovative way. ^[55]

Following his election by to Chairman of the Defence Select Committee, Stewart handed over the lead for the review to Stephen Phillips QC MP. ^[56]

Defence Select Committee

In May 2014, Stewart was elected by MPs from all parties as Chairman of the Defence Select Committee. He was the youngest ever Chair or a select committee, as well as the first MP of the 2010 intake to be elected to chair a committee. ^{[57] [58]} Stewart chaired committee reports arguing Strongly for a more vigorous response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. The committee argued ook dat Britain’s commitments to Iraq and Syria ulcers “strikingly modest” and therein more arnt for improvement. ^[59] Under Stewart’s chairmanship, the committee produktie a report in favor of the proposals for a Services Complaint Ombudsman and ook secured an Amendment Extending the powers of the Ombudsman. ^[60]

Minister

Following the Conservative victory in the 2015 UK General Election, Stewart was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), with responsibilities waaronder the natural environment, national parks, floods and water resource and environmental management, rural affairs, lead Verantwoordelijkheid for the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Forestry Commission, and acting as the Secretary of State’s Deputy on the Environment Council. ^[61]

In July 2015, in his capacity as Resource Minister, he announced a review into tje regulatory and enforcement barriers to growth and innovation in the waste sector. ^[62] Stewart as Floods Minister joined the National Flood Resilience Review, formally in 2016 and chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Letwin. ^[63] Stewart Initiated the Cumbria Floods Partnership in response to Storm Desmond, with a focus on long-term flood defense. ^[64] UK House of Commons cross-party Environment Audit Committee criticised Floods Minister Stewart “that the additional £ 700m [newly allocated flood defense monies] was the result of a” political calculation “and dat it Might not be spent volgens to the strict value-for-money criteria Currently-used. ” ^[65]

After Theresa May Replaced David Cameron as Prime Minister , Stewart was appointed Minister of State for International Development on 17 July 2016. ^{[66] [67]}

Personal life

Stewart lives at Dufton in Cumbria, ^[68] and is a member of The Athenaeum Club. In 2012, he married an American NGO executive, Shoshana Clark, ^[69] with have Whom had his first child in November, 2014.

Honours

In the 2004 Queen’s Birthday Honours , Stewart was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). ^[70]

Documentaries

• On 16 and 23 January 2010, Stewart Presented a two-part series on The Legacy of Lawrence of Arabia on BBC2 in the UK. ^[71]
• In May 2012, Stewart wrote and Presented Afghanistan: The Great Game – A Personal View by Rory Stewart , a documentary in two parts written and Presented by Stewart therein tells the story of foreign intervention by Britain, Russia and the United States in Afghanistan from the 19th century to the present day, ^[72] welke Aired on BBC2.
• On 30 March and 6 April 2014, Stewart Presented a two-part BBC television documentary, Border Country: The Story of Britain’s Lost Middleland , welke Investigates the rift created by Hadrian’s Wall , and the issues of identity and culture in a region Divided by the fabricated border. ^[73]

Miscellaneous

• On 25 January 2008 Stewart was the guest on BBC Radio 4 ‘s Desert Island Discs ^[74]
• In August 2008, the UK media widely Reported therein Studio Canal and Brad Pitt ‘s production company Plan B had Bought the rights to a biopic of Stewart’s life. The actor Orlando Bloom will apparently play Stewart. ^[75]That Brad Pitt had Bought the rights was Confirmed on Lateline , on Australia’s ABC on July 29 [year?] ^{[ Citation needed ]}
• Stewart speaks some French, Persian (Dari) , and Indonesian . He has’ll be studied at school, in the Foreign Office, and on his Asian travels Latin, Greek, Russian, Chinese, Serbo-Croat , Urdu , and Nepali languages. He acknowledges therein the Latter three languages are “very rusty.” ^[76]

Notes