Ruth Kelly, the new minister for the Cabinet Office, has packed more than most MPs into her short parliamentary career.

Born in Northern Ireland, she was educated at Queen's College Oxford where she took philosophy, politics and economics, and at the London School of Economics.

She entered the Commons as member for Bolton West in 1997.

Before her election Kelly was deputy head of the Inflation Report Division at the Bank of England from 1994-1997 and, before that, an economics writer for the Guardian.

Just 29 when she entered parliament, she has always been seen as a future star of the party because of her intelligence, media experience and easy manner.

In 1998 she was appointed as parliamentary private secretary to Nick Brown, then minister for agriculture, fisheries and food, a post which she held for three years.

However it has been at the Treasury that she has thrived.

Joining the department after the 2001 election as economic secretary, she was swiftly promoted to financial secretary in May 2002, where she shone in regular front bench appearances.

During her time at Westminster she has also been an associate editor of The House Magazine.

She is married and since 1997 she has had four children, three girls and a boy.