Simon Jenkins
Sir Simon David Jenkins (born 10 June 1943) is a British journalist, newspaper editor, author, broadcaster, and heritage advocate.[1]
He edited the Evening Standard from 1976 to 1978 and The Times from 1990 to 1992, following roles as political editor of The Economist from 1979 to 1986 and columnist for the Sunday Times.[2][3]
Appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2004 New Year Honours for services to journalism, Jenkins chaired the National Trust from 2008 to 2014, during which he emphasized adapting historic sites to contemporary uses while critiquing overly restrictive preservation policies.[4][5]
His extensive writings, including England's Thousand Best Churches and A Short History of England, highlight empirical assessments of architectural and cultural value, often challenging institutional biases toward stasis over functional renewal in urban and rural planning.[6]
Jenkins continues to contribute regular columns to The Guardian, focusing on politics, environment, and city development, where his contrarian stances—such as prioritizing housing needs over heritage absolutism—have sparked debate amid prevailing preservationist orthodoxies.[7][8]
Early Life and Education
Family and Upbringing
Simon Jenkins was born on 10 June 1943 in Birmingham, England, the son of Daniel Thomas Jenkins (1914–2002), a Welsh-born theologian, United Reformed Church minister, and professor who had studied at Edinburgh University and Mansfield College, Oxford, before being ordained in 1940.[9][10] His mother, who had attended university in the 1940s, provided a familial context of intellectual engagement, later reflecting on Jenkins's student-era radicalism by comparing it to her own experiences.[8] Jenkins's early years involved transatlantic movement tied to his father's career; Daniel Jenkins lectured in theology at Chicago Theological Seminary from 1953 to 1961, during which time the family resided in Chicago, Illinois—a period Jenkins later described as occurring in a "dodgy place" marked by urban divisions, where venturing south into ghettos was avoided.[11][9] This exposure to American urban life contrasted with his British roots, preceding the family's return to the United Kingdom, where Daniel later held professorships at the University of Leeds (1962–1979) and the University of Glasgow.[9] No public records detail siblings or extended family influences on Jenkins's formative years.Academic Training
Jenkins attended Mill Hill School, an independent boys' day and boarding school in north London, for his secondary education.[12][13] The school, founded in 1807, emphasizes a broad liberal arts curriculum including classics, sciences, and modern subjects, which aligned with Jenkins's early interests in writing and public affairs. Following this, Jenkins matriculated at St John's College, University of Oxford, where he pursued a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), a rigorous interdisciplinary program established in 1920 to prepare students for leadership in government, economics, and policy.[10][14] He graduated in the mid-1960s, having engaged in student journalism as a contributor to Cherwell, Oxford's independent student newspaper, including coverage of Oxford Union debates.[15] This academic foundation in analytical philosophy, political theory, and economic principles directly informed his subsequent career in investigative and opinion journalism, though he has not publicly detailed specific academic honors or dissertation topics from his time at Oxford.[16]Journalistic Career
Initial Roles and Development
Jenkins began his journalistic career at Country Life magazine in 1965, shortly after graduating from Oxford University.[17] From 1966 to 1968, he served as news editor at the Times Educational Supplement, where he gained experience in educational reporting and editorial management.[17] In 1968, Jenkins joined the Evening Standard as a reporter, initially covering planning matters and buildings, which sparked his lifelong interest in architecture and urban development.[17] By 1972, he had advanced to features editor at the Evening Standard, overseeing in-depth articles and contributing to the paper's investigative style.[17] This rapid progression culminated in his appointment as editor of the Evening Standard in 1976, at the age of 33, marking a significant early achievement in his career and demonstrating his aptitude for leadership in a competitive London newspaper environment.[10][17]Editorial Leadership
Jenkins served as editor of the Evening Standard from 1976 to 1978, becoming one of the youngest individuals to lead a major London newspaper at age 33.[18] During this period, he oversaw the paper's coverage of local and national affairs amid London's evolving urban landscape, though specific circulation or editorial innovations from his tenure are not extensively documented in contemporary accounts.[4] Following seven years as political editor of The Economist from 1979 to 1986, Jenkins was appointed editor of The Times in 1990, succeeding Charles Wilson under proprietor Rupert Murdoch.[12] His two-year stint emphasized balanced political reporting and cultural commentary, aligning with the paper's shift toward broader accessibility post-Murdoch acquisition. However, Jenkins was dismissed in 1992 after failing to meet Murdoch's targets for circulation growth, which had stagnated amid competitive pressures from tabloids and rival broadsheets.[12] This outcome reflected Murdoch's aggressive commercial priorities rather than editorial quality alone, as subsequent editors faced similar sales challenges.[19]Columnist Contributions
Simon Jenkins established himself as a key columnist at The Times, contributing principal columns from 1990 to 2005, often on politics, urbanism, and heritage.[20] In January 2005, he left The Times to join The Guardian as a twice-weekly columnist, expanding his reach to broader audiences with incisive commentary.[21] He maintains a weekly column for the Sunday Times and has periodically contributed to the Evening Standard.[7] Jenkins' columns frequently critique postwar architectural and planning failures, advocating for the preservation of Britain's historical built environment over modernist interventions.[22] In a September 2008 piece, he decried the "shameful" neglect of heritage, highlighting bureaucratic indifference to public design and calling for renewed stewardship of iconic sites.[22] His work extends to political analysis, including Brexit's economic fallout; for instance, in October 2025, he attributed the UK steel crisis partly to post-referendum disruptions under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.[23] Internationally, he has assessed figures like Donald Trump, arguing in October 2025 that Trump's approach could inadvertently aid peace efforts in Gaza and Ukraine by challenging entrenched conflicts.[24] Other topics include environmental policies, such as opposition to expansive wind turbine projects, and social issues like education and taxation.[7] His commentary has garnered professional recognition, including the Commentariat of the Year award in 2010 for contributions to The Guardian and Evening Standard.[25] Previously, Jenkins received Columnist of the Year in 1993 and Journalist of the Year in 1998 from What the Papers Say.[26] These honors reflect the influence of his polemical style in shaping debates on heritage conservation and policy realism, though his defenses of traditional urban forms have drawn criticism for resisting development.[27]