Sir Simon Jenkins

Simon Jenkins is a journalist, author and broadcaster. He writes twice-weekly for The Guardian and regularly for the London Evening Standard.

Simon began his career in education, at the London Institute of Education. He moved into journalism at the Times Educational Supplement and then the Evening Standard.

He edited the Insight page of The Sunday Times before becoming political editor of The Economist. He edited both the Evening Standard and The Times. From 1990 – 2005 he was a principal columnist at The Times. In 2005 he joined The Guardian as a columnist, continuing to write a column for The Sunday Times.

In 2004 he was knighted for his services to journalism.

Simon was chairman of the National Trust from 2008 – 2014. He has also advised on a number boards and committees including British Rail, London Transport and Faber and Faber. He has been a trustee of the Museum of London, Somerset House, Southbank Centre, the Thirties Society (now called The Twentieth Century Society – a heritage conservation society), the RIBA drawings collection and the Millennium Commission. He chaired the Pevsner architectural survey and was deputy chairman of English Heritage from 1985 – 90.

He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and of the Royal Society of Literature.

He has written books on a variety of topics including churches, houses, London, Welsh architecture, politics and English history.