Ian Austin (politician)

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For other persons named Ian Austin, see Ian Austin (disambiguation).

Ian Christopher Austin (March 6, 1965) British politician and Labour Party Member of Parliament for Dudley North.

He was brought up in Dudley and attended the Castle High School. Attended the University of Essex at Colchester. Keen to obtain an National Union of Journalists card, Ian obtained a job with Black Country Publishing in Netherton where, despite his lack of sporting interest, he worked as a journalist on Midland Sport Magazine.

He was elected as a councillor to the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley from 1991-1995. He was a press officer with the West Midlands Labour Party, and from 1999 he was a political advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown. He is well known as a close lieutenant of the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, and after being reprimanded by the Speaker of the House of Commons for barracking during Prime Minister's Questions on 18 October 2006, he was described by David Cameron as one of Gordon Brown's "boot boys"[1]. He has now been made joint Parliamentary Private Secretary to Gordon Brown MP.

He was selected as the Labour candidate for Dudley North following the retirement of Ross Cranston, and was duly elected at the 2005 general election.

He is married with three children.