Beverley Hughes

Beverley Hughes has had a dual career as an academic and as a politician in local, and now, national politics. She graduated from Manchester University in 1971 and undertook postgraduate work at both Liverpool and Manchester Universities. She was awarded an MSc in 1978 for her research into the treatment of schizophrenia.

Having qualified and worked in Merseyside as a probation officer, she was subsequently appointed Lecturer in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Manchester. Her research and areas of specialism included criminal justice; elderly people; residential care; women; child-sexual abuse; adoption and fostering. She has published many academic articles and texts. She was appointed Senior Lecturer and Head of Department in 1994.

She was elected to Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council in 1986. As Vice Chair of the Personnel Committee she introduced new working practices including a flexible working hours scheme, and an equal opportunities policy. She was leader of the Lbaour Group from 1992 and Leader of the Council from 1995 until her election to the House of Commons in 1997.

As Leader of the Council, she pioneered a new approach to economic regeneration in the Borough; modernised the corporate structure and policy making process; completed a fundamental review of the budget and budget-setting processes and introduced a range of measures to develop key policy priorities in education, communication with the public, access to services and quality audit. She was also Director of several publicly owned companies Trafford Park Development Corporation, Manchester Airport Plc, Modesole and G-Mex, and a Founder-Director and first chair of Midas, an inward investment company established and owned by a partnership of five public bodies.

She was elected Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston in 1997. From June 1997 she served as a member of the Home Affiars Select Committee until her appointment as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Hilary Armstrong, Minister of State for Local Government and Housing in July 1998. In July 1999, the Prime Minister appointed her to his Government as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of the Environment, Transport andthe Regions, with responsibility for local government, regeneration, regions, planning and construction.

Following the general election in June 2001, Beverley was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Home Office, with responsibility for prisons, child protection, sentencing and law reform, probation, mentally disordered offenders, coroners and policy on sex offenders. Whilst in this post, Beverley took through the emergency Crime and Anti-Terrorism legislation, which was passed in December 2001, following the events of September 11th.

Her following appointment has been again within the Home Office as Minister of State, with responsibility for Citizenship, Immigration and Community Cohesion in the reshuffle of May 2002.

Bev was made Minister for Children, Young People and Families following the 2005 General Election.