Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan William Patrick Aitken (born 30 August 1942) is a British author, Church of England priest, convicted criminal and former Conservative Party politician. Beginning his career in journalism, he was elected to Parliament in 1974 (serving until 1997), and was a member of the cabinet during John Major's premiership from 1994 to 1995. That same year, he was accused by The Guardian of misdeeds conducted under his official government capacity. He sued the newspaper for libel in response, but the case collapsed, and he was subsequently found to have committed perjury during his trial. In 1999, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, of which he served seven months.
Jonathan Aitken | |
|---|---|
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 20 July 1994 – 5 July 1995 | |
| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Michael Portillo |
| Succeeded by | William Waldegrave |
| Minister for Defence Procurement | |
| In office 14 April 1992 – 20 July 1994 | |
| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Alan Clark |
| Succeeded by | Roger Freeman |
| Member of Parliament for South Thanet Thanet East (1974–1983) | |
| In office 28 February 1974 – 8 April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Ladyman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 August 1942 Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Conservative (1966–2004) UKIP (2004–2007) |
| Spouses | Lolicia Olivera Azucki
(m. 1979; div. 1998)Elizabeth Rees-Williams
(m. 2003; died 2022) |
| Children | 4, including Alexandra |
| Parent(s) | Sir William Aitken Penelope, Lady Aitken |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford Wycliffe Hall, Oxford |
| Website | Official website |
Following his imprisonment, Aitken became a Christian and later became the honorary president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide. He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 2019.