Masters of the Bench

Educated at Tonbridge and Lincoln College, Oxford, Robert Rogers joined the House of Commons as an Assistant Clerk in 1972. In his career he was involved in every aspect of the House’s business, including appointments as Clerk of Private Members’ Bills and Clerk of the Defence Select Committee. He was Clerk of Legislation 2006-09, Clerk Assistant 2009-11, and Clerk of the House and Chief Executive of the House Service 2011-14. He was knighted in 2012.

Away from Westminster Robert has been chairman of standards committees in local government, Chairman of the Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust, a Liveryman of the Skinners’ Company and a school governor. He is joint author of the standard textbook How Parliament Works (7th edition) and author of two Parliamentary miscellanies, Order! Order! and Who Goes Home? He was elected an Hon Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, in 2013. Robert’s recreations are music (he is a church organist and singer), cricket, real tennis, sailing, shooting and the countryside.

He is married to the Revd Jane and they have two daughters: Catherine is a solicitor with Farrers, and Eleanor is an epidemiologist with the Health Protection Agency.