Rodger Elwin

## Rodger Elwin CBE MP

Formal portrait of Rodger Elwin CBE for The Times

London Residence:

* Number 12 Downing Street

Additional Residences:

* Dunsmore House, Rugby
* The Nutshell, Scawby

* Leader of the House of Commons, Government Deputy Chief Whip & Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
* Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
* Opposition Deputy Chief Whip
* Government Chief Whip, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury & Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
* Treasurer of Her Majesty's Household & Deputy Chief Whip

## Signature

**The Right Honourable Rodger Gabriel Elwin CBE MP** (born 19 July) is an English Polticial 'Operator', Statesman and former Writer. With the wider public he is less wellknown as a politician than he is for his time as Managing Editor of the The Telgraph a publication of which he is still a shareholder through the parent company Elwin Publishing Limited. He is well known as a straight up and down English gentleman, he has very rarely defied the Whip on key government legislation.

He is widely regarded as aristocratic but not unkind, his family run a number of charitable practices across england under the Elwin Foundation Trust which is headed up by his cousin Quentin Elwin. The charitable foundation focuses on the development of rundown areas and employment of local people. It also owns a number of shelters for the homeless and for victims of domestic abuse.

## Early Life

Rodger was born in Marylebone, London, England at the private hospital 'The Portland Hospital' on the 19th July 1963 to Lord Reginald and Lady Evangeline Elwin of Retford (following the Life Peerage of Reginald Elwin); Reginald was a Conservative Life Peer, the previous Managing Editor & Owner of the The Telegraph and Evangeline is an Interior designer specialsing in high end properties. Rodger was the eldest of 3 other siblings: Rosamund (a Barrister and QC), Theodore (Managing Director at Elwin Interior Design) and Elliot (Managing Editor of Elwin Publishing Limited).

From an early age, Rodger spent alot of time moving around, for the first year of his life in his fathers Mayfar flat, before relocating for year and a half to his fathers country house in Rugby before the final move to his family ancestral home of Atherston House in Lincoln.

Following that at the age of 6 he was shipped off to Brighton college, he first attended the Pre-Prep School from age to 6 till he was 8 then continuing on to Brighton College Preparatory School from 8 till 13. Where he was sorted into Saint George's House, during his time at the Preparatory School he was a member of an all-boy acapella group and sang in the choir. He was also a member of the first Cricket squad. He excelled in French, Mandarin, Latin and History. His tutors credit how fast he took to other languages in later life speaking them like a native speaker.

From the age of 13 he was accepted and studdied at Eton College, shortly after arriving he took the College Election Examination and become a King's Scholar meaning he was admitted into a house known as "College", the premises of which are situated within the original ancient purpose-built college buildings. He excelled in Aincent History, Latin and Classical Greek.

During his time at Eton College, he was a member of a number of political and debate societies, by the time he left he was raining Debate Champion, often dubbed a silver tounge by teachers, tutors and opponants alike he liked nothing more than crushing facts and closing debates with a smack down.

Following his graduation from Eton he attended Oxford University reading History and Modern Languages at Christ Church College whilst he attended University he was a member of the Bullingdon Club. During in his time at the University he worked as a writer for his fathers Newspaper.

## Post Education & Career

Following his matriculation from Oxford University he was employed as a regular contributer and writer for his fathers Newspaper, he took a stance on many political positions but also wrote regularly on the revival of Country Fashion and lifestyle. His most frequant topic for writing was the return of Gentleman and how they should behave, he spent two years writing for the Newspaper before the unfortunate happened.

Following the death of his father he took over as sole owner and Managing Editor, and carried on with this for some time, in this time he worked hard to continue his fathers work whilst still being a regular contributor. During this time he became more and more political and supporting the work of the Thatcher Government. During this time he interviewed a number of senior Conservatives including John Major, William Whitelaw, Francis Pym and even Margaret Thatcher herself, after a meeting with Thatcher, he was offered the position to become Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, following the calling of the election, Rodger was chosen to stand in the constituancy of Gainsborough following the support given to him by Margaret Thatcher.

## Election to Parliament

As mentioned before, following his close work with Margaret Thatcher, he was selected to be the candidate to contest the Gainsborough Constituancy in the General Election, he won this with a 9,723 vote majoirty. The campaign of the Labour Candidate went with the typical stance of bashing Elwin for being a 'toff' but he fell down when the Labour Candidate started to cast aspursions on the legitimacy and finances of the Elwin Foundation Trust which brings prosperity to the area. This lost the Labour party the high roads, and allowed Elwin to throw it back in his face When elected he was returned to Wesminster with a comfortable majoirty and new standing as the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough.

## Work in Parliament

Following the victory of the Conservative Party , following the win he became the Treasurer of Her Majesty's Household and Deputy Chief Whip.

As whip he works on a number of key tasks, including ensuring that whips were enforced, he is also the point man for solving scandal rumor and was widely known to be 'The Keeper of the Black Book' a leather bound black folder kept in Elwin's office containing evidence to be able to pressure members who wish to step over the party line. In the time that followed he supported and ran John Major's election campaign for leader becoming successful. He was then promoted to Chief whip and also acted as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. During this time he recieved a reputation for being the 'Keeper of the Black Book' a black leather bound folder with leverage on each MP inside. Kept inside his desk no one else had access to this not even the party leader - this was a duty that he continued to carry out until his removal as a whip.

When he asked to be responsible for running the election - John turned him down, to his detrement. When John resigned he backed William hauge for his tenure as Leader of the Opposition, Rodger served as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and Deputy Chief Whip. However when Hauge too rejected his request to run the election strategy he resigned from Shadow cabinet and did not return until the election of David cameron where he returned to the post of Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. When David Cameron formed the Coalition Government Rodger retained his position as Leader of the House along with the post of Deputy Chief Whip and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.

## Roleplay Information

Following the resignation of David Cameron, Rodger was one of the key supporters of Julia Montague - having been her Campagin Manager during the leadership race that would see her elected unopposed. Following her election as leader of the party and Prime Minister he was appointed as Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Minister for the Cabinet Office. This is said to have made him one of the most powerful Ministers in Whitehall. Technically more powerful than the Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister.

He took control of the cabinet office and became responsible for not only implementation and direction of policy but Cabinet Discipline. Setting down a Cabinet Charter to ensure tha Ministers from both side of the coalition behaved themselves. He is said to be something of a 'Malcolm Tucker'esq character but instead of (and I quote) "slamming your head into a shredder takes your bullshit and turns it into solid gold".

Rodger was instrumental in the election campaign running a tight ship and travelling across the country campaigning for a Conservative Majority. Following the election and the reutning of the largest majority for the Conservatives since Thatcher, Rodger was promoted to the position of Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Government Chief of Staff alongside his internal party position of Deputy Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party.

## Personal Life

Rodger is unmarried and is considered a serial Bachelor, he is considered widely to be a 'Gentleman about town' and has always enjoyed a busy social calander with the highfliers and socialites of both Country and City life. His wide array of property means that he enjoys time spent all across the nation.