Des Browne

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The Rt Hon Des Browne
Des Browne
In office
May 5, 2006 – present
Preceded by John Reid
Succeeded by Incumbent
Constituency Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Majority 8,703 (19.6%)
Born 22 March 1952
Political party Labour
Spouse Maura Taylor

Desmond Henry Browne (born 22 March 1952), commonly known as Des Browne, is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun and the Secretary of State for Defence in the Cabinet.

Contents

[edit] Early life and education

Browne was born in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, and was educated at the local St Michael's Academy and the University of Glasgow, where he received a degree in law.

[edit] Legal career

He started his legal career in 1974 as an apprentice solicitor with the firm James Campbell & Co. On qualifying in 1976 he became an assistant solicitor with Ross, Harper and Murphy, promoted to solicitor in 1980. He became a partner in McCluskey Browne in 1985 and a council member of the Law Society of Scotland 1988-1992. He worked mainly in child law.

[edit] Parliamentary career

Browne contested the parliamentary seat of Argyll and Bute at the 1992 General Election, and finished in a low fourth place behind the sitting Liberal Democrat MP Ray Michie. He was elected to the Faculty of Advocates in 1993. Browne was selected to contest the safe Labour seat of Kilmarnock and Loudoun following the retirement of the sitting MP William McKelvey. Browne won the seat comfortably at the 1997 General Election with a majority of 7,256. He made his maiden speech on June 20, 1997.

Browne joined the Northern Ireland Select Committee on his election, and became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Scotland Donald Dewar in 1998. After Dewar left the Cabinet in 1999, to seek election as the First Minister of Scotland, Browne remained in post as PPS to the new Secretary of State John Reid. In 2000 he became the PPS to the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.

[edit] Government Minister

After the 2001 General Election Browne entered Tony Blair's government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office. He was promoted to Minister of State at the Department of Work and Pensions in 2003, before moving to the Home Office in 2004 as the minister with responsibility for immigration, after Beverley Hughes resigned in a scandal [1]. He joined the Cabinet following the 2005 General Election as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and became a Member of the Privy Council. He was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in the Cabinet reshuffle on 5 May 2006.

Des Browne is considered a Brownite.[1]

[edit] Personal life

Browne has been married to Maura Taylor since 1983; they have two sons.

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ The Guardian

[edit] External links

[edit] Offices held

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
William McKelvey		 Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun
1997 – present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Paul Boateng		 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
2005–2006		 Succeeded by
Stephen Timms
Preceded by
John Reid		 Secretary of State for Defence
2006 – present		 Incumbent
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