Simon Heffer Explained

Simon Heffer
Birth Name:Simon James Heffer
Birth Date:18 July 1960
Birth Place:Chelmsford, Essex, England
Children:2
Education:King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
Alma Mater:Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

Simon James Heffer (born 18 July 1960) is an English historian, journalist, author and political commentator. He has published several biographies and a series of books on the social history of Great Britain from the mid-nineteenth century until the end of the First World War. He was appointed professorial research fellow at the University of Buckingham in 2017.

He worked as a columnist for the Daily Mail and since 2015 has had a weekly column in The Sunday Telegraph. As a political commentator, Heffer takes a socially conservative position.

Early life and education

Heffer was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and was educated there at King Edward VI Grammar School before going to read English at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (MA); after he had become a successful journalist, his old university later awarded him a PhD in History for a book on Enoch Powell.[1]

Career

Journalism

Heffer worked for The Daily Telegraph until 1995. He worked as a columnist for the Daily Mail from 1995 to 2005. He rejoined the Telegraph in October 2005 as a columnist and associate editor. Martin Newland, the Daily Telegraph editor at the time, described the newspaper as Heffer's "natural journalistic home".[2] He left the Telegraph in May 2011 to "pursue a role in journalism and broadcasting" and "complete a major literary project".[3] It had been speculated that his departure had been prompted by his constant attacks on David Cameron's government, of which the Telegraph had been generally supportive.[4] Heffer later rejoined the Daily Mail to edit a new online comment section, called RightMinds, of the paper's online edition.[5] [6] He returned to the Daily Telegraph in June 2015 and has a weekly column in the Sunday Telegraph.[7]

Historian and author

Heffer has written biographies of the historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and of the British politician Enoch Powell (Like the Roman), which was described by the New Statesman as "a lucid and majestic tribute" to the politician.[8] [9] He received his PhD in modern history from Cambridge University for the 1998 Powell biography.

In September 2010, Heffer published Strictly English: the Correct Way to Write... and Why it Matters, a guide to English grammar and usage. The book met with some negative reception.[10] Since 2010 he has published several historical works such as A Short History of Power (2010) and a series of three books on the social history of Great Britain from the mid nineteenth century until the end of the First World War: High Minds: the Victorians and the Birth of Modern Britain (2013), and Staring at God: Britain 1914 to 1919 (2019).

Heffer became a professorial research fellow at the University of Buckingham in 2017.[11]

Hillsborough comments

Heffer said in 2012 that he wrote the first draft of a Spectator editorial in 2004 regarding the death of Kenneth Bigley, which said in part:These comments (sometimes incorrectly attributed to the then-editor of the Spectator, Boris Johnson) were widely circulated following the April 2016 verdict by the Hillsborough inquest's second hearing proving unlawful killing of the 96 dead at Hillsborough.[12] Johnson apologised at the time of the publication, saying: "That was a lie that unfortunately and very, very regrettably got picked up in a leader in the Spectator in 2004, which I was then editing."[13]

Politics

Heffer was politically left-wing in his teenage years, but had abandoned his views by the time he went to university, although he states he still has a lingering respect and affection for several past figures of the left, such as Michael Foot and Tony Benn.https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/2430/calm-down-old-boy-laurie-taylor-interviews-simon-heffer

Heffer is a social conservative, though in a recent interview he described himself as a Gladstonian Liberal. He supported the retention of Section 28, opposed the equalisation of the age of consent and the liberalisation of laws on abortion and divorce.[14] He opposed the removal of hereditary peers from the House of Lords in 1999.[15]

Heffer believes that Christianity should have a strong role in shaping both the moral foundation of society and public policy, but he is personally an atheist.[16]

In 2008, Heffer called for the United Nations to be strengthened: "If the UN ceases to be regarded by the larger powers as an institution to secure the peace of the world and justice therein, then that holds out all sorts of potential dangers."[17] On 27 May 2009, Heffer threatened to stand as an independent against Sir Alan Haselhurst,[18] his local Conservative MP and a deputy speaker, unless Haselhurst paid back the £12,000 he claimed for work on his garden, as revealed in the Parliamentary expenses scandal.[19] A month later, Haselhurst announced that he would pay the £12,000 back, while insisting it had been claimed within the rules.[20]

In 2010, Heffer criticised the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, and modernising elements within the Conservative Party.[21] [22]

Heffer has written sympathetically about and backed the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and Nigel Farage.[23] He supported the UK's withdrawal from the EU in the Brexit referendum. In an article in the Daily Telegraph, Heffer suggested that some of those who supported Britain remaining in the European Union were members of the Bilderberg Group and attendees of the World Economic Forum at Davos.[24] From 2016 to 2019, he was part of the political advisory board of Leave Means Leave.[25]

Personal life

Heffer married his wife Diana Caroline in 1987. He has two children. Heffer lives in Essex with his family. His passions outside of politics include classical music and cricket.[26] [27]

Bibliography

Books

Book reviews

Yearclass='unsortable'Review articleclass='unsortable'Work(s) reviewed
2014Heffer, Simon . 21 November 2014 . The unfinished battles of Waterloo . New Statesman . 143 . 5237 . 44–45.
  • Book: Cornwell, Bernard . Bernard Cornwell . Waterloo : the history of four days, three armies and three battles . London . William Collins . 2014 . -->.
  • Book: Kershaw, Robert . 24 hours at Waterloo : 18 June 1815 . W. H. Allen . . -->.
  • Book: O'Keeffe, Paul . Waterloo : the aftermath . Bodley Head . . -->.
  • Book: Clayton, Tim . Waterloo : four days that changed Europe's destiny . Little, Brown . . -->.
  • Book: Simms, Brendan . Brendan Simms . The longest afternoon : the four hundred men who decided the Battle of Waterloo . Allen Lane . 2014 . -->.

Critical studies and reviews of Heffer's work

High minds

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Brook . Stephen . 1 December 2009 . Simon Heffer to take sabbatical from Daily Telegraph . . 14 March 2016.
  2. News: Columnist Simon Heffer to join the Daily Telegraph . The Daily Telegraph. https://web.archive.org/web/20070311102242/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/pressoffice/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/pressoffice/2005/09/19/pre20050919.xml . 11 March 2007 . 5 November 2006 . London.
  3. News: James . Robinson . Simon Heffer to leave Daily Telegraph . 11 May 2011 . The Guardian . 12 May 2001 . London.
  4. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/may/11/simon-heffer-leaves-daily-telegraph Simon Heffer to leave Daily Telegraph
  5. News: Simon Heffer launches MailOnline comment website RightMinds . London . The Guardian . Josh . Halliday . 13 September 2011.
  6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014gcm1 Simon Heffer and media ownership
  7. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/11655186/Simon-Heffer-Culture-isnt-just-nice-its-necessary.html 'Culture isn't just nice – it's necessary'
  8. News: The long road to oblivion. Ian Aitken on Simon Heffer's lucid and majestic tribute to the controversial genius of Enoch Powell. 11 December 1998. Ian Aitken. New Statesman. 15 March 2011. Ian Aitken (journalist).
  9. http://www.faber.co.uk/content/faber-finds-enoch-powell-simon-heffer www.faber.co.uk
  10. News: Strictly English: The Correct Way to Write...and Why it Matters By Simon Heffer. 14 October 2010. David Crystal. New Statesman. 15 March 2011. David Crystal . https://web.archive.org/web/20101017034632/https://www.newstatesman.com/books/2010/10/english-heffer-sentence . 17 October 2010 .
  11. Web site: Professor Simon Heffer. University of Buckingham. en. 15 November 2019.
  12. News: Doré. Louis. The truth about that awful Boris Johnson 'quote' on Hillsborough. 29 April 2016. indy100. 26 April 2016. 29 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160429090744/http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/the-truth-about-that-awful-alleged-boris-johnson-quote-on-hillsborough--Z1SY2Me2WW.
  13. News: . Hillsborough: Boris Johnson apologises for slurs in 2004 Spectator article . Liverpool Echo . 13 September 2012 . 27 April 2016.
  14. News: https://web.archive.org/web/20080514015115/http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/01/07/do0701.xml. 14 May 2008. Heffer. Simon. The sooner the 1960s are over, the better . Simon Heffer on Saturday . The Daily Telegraph. London. 7 January 2006. 5 March 2022.
  15. Web site: The last thing the House of Lords needs is a mass of elected members. Heffer. Simon. 18 January 2011. The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20110119022845/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/8267086/The-last-thing-the-House-of-Lords-needs-is-a-mass-of-elected-members.html. 19 January 2011.
  16. News: Heffer . Simon . 21 December 2005 . Stop apologising for being Christian . The Daily Telegraph. London . 21 December 2005.
  17. News: UK foreign interventions as a middling power . The Daily Telegraph. London . Simon . Heffer . 12 January 2008 . 23 May 2010.
  18. Simon Heffer "MPs' expenses: do the right thing, Sir Alan Haselhurst, or I will stand against you", Daily Telegraph, 27 May 2009.
  19. Stephen Brook "Daily Telegraph writer Simon Heffer threatens to stand against his Tory MP", The Guardian, 27 May 2009.
  20. Web site: MP to pay back Gardening Expenses. Saffron Walden Conservatives. May 2009. The expense claims I made over recent years have been strictly in accordance with Parliamentary rules… However, my claim for gardening help has caused concern. Out of respect to my constituents I am this week repaying the sum of £12,000.. https://web.archive.org/web/20090629205223/http://www.saffronwaldenconservatives.com/index.php?sectionid=3&pagenumber=281. 29 June 2009. live.
  21. News: Only a Tory without principles would demonise the Right. Heffer. Simon. 18 May 2010. The Daily Telegraph. London.
  22. News: Dave will rue the day he betrayed the Conservatives. Heffer. Simon. 21 May 2010. The Daily Telegraph. London.
  23. News: Not all the loonies are in UKIP, Dave. Heffer. Simon. 8 April 2006. The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20160707065630/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3624186/Simon-Heffer-on-Saturday.html. 7 July 2016.
  24. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/19/the-eu-empire-is-going-to-fail-on-thursday-we-can-protect-britai The EU Empire is going to fail. On Thursday, we can protect Britain from the chaos of its death throes
  25. Web site: Co-Chairmen – Political Advisory Board – Supporters . Leave Means Leave . https://web.archive.org/web/20190204212212/http://www.leavemeansleave.eu/who-we-are/ . 4 February 2019 .
  26. Web site: Simon Heffer – Notting Hill Editions Author Profile . 27 June 2022 . Notting Hill Editions . en.
  27. Web site: Simon Heffer – Georgina Capel . 27 June 2022 . en-US.

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