Jacob Rees-Mogg

Sir Jacob William Rees-Mogg (/riːs mɒɡ/ REESS MOG; born 24 May 1969) is a British politician, businessman and broadcaster who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Somerset from 2010 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council from 2019 to 2022, Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency from February to September 2022, and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from September to October 2022. Rees-Mogg previously chaired the eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG) from 2018 to 2019 and has been associated with socially conservative views.

Rees-Mogg was born in Hammersmith, London. He was educated at Westminster Under School, Eton College and the University of Oxford where he studied history as an undergraduate student of Trinity College, Oxford, and served as president of Oxford University Conservative Association. He went on to work in the City of London and in Hong Kong for Lloyd George Management until 2007, when he co-founded the hedge fund management business Somerset Capital Management LLP. He amassed a significant fortune, estimated in 2016 at between £55 million and £150 million, including his wife's expected inheritance. Rees-Mogg unsuccessfully contested the 1997 and 2001 general elections before being elected as the MP for North East Somerset in 2010. He was reelected in 2015 and 2017, with an increased share of the vote each time, as well as in 2019, with a smaller share of the vote. Within the Conservative Party, he has joined the traditionalist and socially conservative Cornerstone Group.