I was born on November 13th 1952 in my grandparent's council house on Brierley Road in Grimethorpe, which is the heart of the constituency.

I attended Grimethorpe Junior School until I 1964 when I then moved up to Hemsworth Grammar School where I remained until 1971. I spent four years training to be a teacher at Redland College in Bristol where I gained my Bachelor of Education degree from Bristol University.

My professional career in teaching involved spells between 1976 and 1996 at Elstone Hall Junior School, Wolverhampton Brungreave Middle School and Hillsborough Junior School, Sheffield. For the past 17 years of my teaching career I was the NASUWT representative at Hillsborough School.

I have been a member of the Labour Party since being a teenager and became a Barnsley Councillor for the Brierley Ward in a by-election in 1980. I held a number of senior posts in the Council such as Chair of Consumer and Environmental Services, Deputy Leader and latterly Leader of the Council between May 1995 – December 1996. I also served as Chair of the Fire Authority and Civil Defence Authority.

My earliest political role model was my grandfather Raymond McQueen who was the NUM Treasurer at Grimethorpe Colliery for many years in the 1950's and 60's. He was also a prominent local Councillor on Hemsworth Rural District Council, which served my area before the 1974 reorganisation of Local Government.

I have been married to my wife Margaret who is also from Grimethorpe for we over 20 years and we have three sons Neil, John and Michael.

I was first elected to represent the Barnsley East seat in December 1996 after the sad demise of my predecessor and friend, Terry Patchett MP.

In May 1997 I was elected as the first ever Member of Parliament for the new constituency of Barnsley East and Mexborough.

I was appointed as PPS to Tessa Jowell, the first ever Public Health Minister in June 1997, a position I held until July 1999.

I was then appointed PPS to Tessa Jowell who was appointed Minister of State for Employment.

After the June 2001 General Election, I was appointed to serve on the Education and Skills Select Committee.