David Hanson (politician)

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The Rt Hon David George Hanson
United Kingdom Minister of State For Northern Ireland
Incumbent
Assumed office 2005
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Constituency	Delyn

Born	5 July 1957 Liverpool Merseyside
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Margaret Hanson
Children	Tom, Amy, Alys and Daniel
Website	http://www.davidhanson.labour.co.uk/

The Rt Hon David George Hanson (born July 5, 1957) British politician. He is the Labour Member of Parliament for Delyn and is the Minister of State for Victims at the Northern Ireland Office.

David Hanson was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, the son of a forklift truck driver, and was educated at the Verdin Comprehensive School, Winsford, Cheshire and the University of Hull where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978 and a certificate in education in 1980, whilst in Hull he was the vice president of the university Students' union. He began his career with the Cooperative Union in 1980 as a trainee manager, becoming a manager in Plymouth in 1981 until he joined Spastics Society in 1982. He left the Spastics Society in 1989 when he was appointed as a director at the Society for the prevention of Solvent Abuse.

He was elected as a councillor to the Vale Royal Borough Council in 1983 becoming the Labour group leader in 1990 until he stood down on his election to parliament. He was also elected as a councillor to the Northwich Town Council in 1987 and also led the Labour group there in 1989 for a year, he left the Town Council in 1991.

He unsuccessfully contested Eddisbury at the 1983 General Election where he was defeated by the sitting Conservative MP Alastair Goodlad by some 14,846 votes. In 1984 he contested the West Cheshire seat for the European Parliament but was again unsuccessful. He contested Delyn in Wales at the 1987 General Election but was defeated by the Tory Keith Raffan by 1,224 votes. It proved third time lucky for Hanson when he was elected to the House of Commons at the 1992 General Election when, following Raffan's retirement, he won the Clwyd seat at Delyn by 2,039 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech on May 6, 1992.[1]

In parliament he was a member of the Welsh affairs select committee from 1992 until he joined the public accounts committee in 1996. He became the Parliamentary Private Secretary PPS to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Alistair Darling in 1997 and became a member of the Tony Blair government in his first reshuffle in 1998 when he was appointed as an Assistant Government Whip. He was promoted in 1999 on his appointment as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Wales Office, Following the 2001 General Election he became the PPS to Prime Minister Blair. He has served as the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office since the 2005 General Election. On 21 February 2007, his approval to the Privy Council was announced^[1].

He has been married to Margaret Rose Mitchell, who has also been a politician since 1986 and was narrowly defeated at the 1999 Eddisbury By-election.[2]. They have two sons, Tom and Daniel and two daughters, Amy and Alys.