Joan Ryan

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Joan Marie Ryan (born 8 September 1955, Warrington) is a politician in the United Kingdom. She is member of Parliament for Enfield North, and is a member of the Labour Party. She was first elected in 1997, and had previously been deputy leader of Barnet Council.

On Friday 5 May 2006, the Prime Minister appointed Ryan as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for nationality, citizenship and immigration at the Home Office, succeeding Andy Burnham. She has particular responsibility for ID cards and passports, the Forensic Science Service, refugee integration, E-borders, extradition and judicial cooperation, the Criminal Records Bureau, Home Office research and science, improving regulation, and design and green issues.

Previously Ryan has been a parliamentary private secretary to Andrew Smith, as well as a senior whip. She lives in Enfield North, and is well respected as an assiduous local campaigner. In the 2005 election, bucking the trend nationally as well as locally in London, and even in the borough of Enfield (where her fellow Labour MP Stephen Twigg was defeated by the Conservatives in Enfield Southgate on a very large 8.7 % swing), she retained her seat with a slightly reduced majority.

Ryan is supporting Hazel Blears in the Labour party's upcoming deputy leadership election.