AFTER waving the blue flag for more than two decades, Harwich and north Essex MP Bernard Jenkin will be made a knight of the realm.

Mr Jenkin, 59, of Hatfield Peverel, says he is very “humbled” to be receiving the honour for his political and public service across the past 26 years.

Mr Jenkin, who has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, said he hopes his late father Lord Patrick Jenkin of Roding would have been proud.

On finding out about the knighthood, he said: “I was quite surprised and I feel very honoured and humbled that the work I have done in parliament and in my constituency has been recognised.”

Mr Jenkin said his greatest political achievement to date has been getting the Government to accept his proposal to investigate mistakes in the health service which he has been working on as chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee since 2014.

The committee has scrutinised reports on learning from mistakes in the NHS, the quality of NHS complaints investigations, and unsafe discharge from hospital.

Mr Jenkin said: “It would save billions of pounds because at the moment people are suing the NHS for billions of pounds from mistakes like failed diagnosis, and operations going wrong.

“If there is a proper investigation it would save money.”

For the past eight years Mr Jenkin has also been the chairman of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee which has inquired into the devolution and exiting of the European Union.

But Mr Jenkin said being a staunch Brexiteer “accidentally” became a large part of his career.

He said: “Being an Eurosceptic has dominated my career and I never intended it to.

“I am proud of other things like representing an excellent part of North Essex and its down to earth high spirited people.

“There are so many other important issues than Brexit and I think people are getting bored of hearing about it.

“As an MP you are also in public service to deal with local issues and your constituents from individual cases to safety on roads.”

His father has been a large political influence as he was a conservative politician who served as a cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher’s first government.

His wife, Baroness Anne Jenkin of Kennington, joined the Lords in 2011.

Mr Jenkin said: “My father was an influence growing up but you don’t get in to Government to be something, you get in to Government to do something.”

Before his political career took hold Mr Jenkin spent ten years working in sales and marketing with Ford, 3i PLC and as a manager of Legal and General Ventures Ltd.

He said: “I have not planned to stand down but I hope people will tell me when my time is up as I don’t want to overstay my welcome.

“I have been proud to represent North Essex in parliament and want to stand in the next election.”