Hilary Benn

Biography

Hilary Benn was elected as MP for Leeds Central in June 1999. He is a member of the House of Commons Environment, Transport and the Regions Select Committee and Vice-Chair of the Backbench Education Committee of Labour MPs.

Since his election, Hilary has spoken out strongly in Parliament about education and employment, inner city regeneration in Leeds, and environmental protection. He is a patron of Holbeck Elderly Aid, Faith Together in Leeds 11, and Caring Together in Woodhouse and Little London.

Hilary was born in 1953. He attended Holland Park Comprehensive School and received a degree from the University of Sussex in 1974. He served for 20 years on Ealing Borough Council, becoming the youngest ever Chair of the Education Committee in 1986. He was also Deputy Leader of the Council.

Hilary has a life-long interest in employment issues, having worked for the trade union MSF, rising to the post of Head of Policy and Communications. He also represented the union on the Labour Party's National Policy Forum, and was Chair of Unions 21 - the trade union think tank.

Following Labour's 1997 election victory, he was appointed as special adviser to the Rt Hon David Blunkett MP, Secretary of State for Education and Employment.

After the 2001 general election, Hilary joined the Government as Clare Short's deputy at the Department forInternational Development. In May 2002 he moved to the Home Office where hewas the Minister for Prisons and Probation.

In May 2003 he returned to the Department for International Development as minister of state and was appointed Secretary of State for International Development in October 2003