John Yorke Denham
Encyclopedia
John Yorke Denham is a British
Labour Party
politician
who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Southampton Itchen since 1992
. He has previously served in the Cabinet
, as Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
from 2007 to 2009, and then as the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
from 2009 to 2010. He was the Shadow Business Secretary in Ed Miliband's
Shadow Cabinet from 2010 to 2011, when he announced that he would be standing down as an MP at the next election, and retired from the front-bench in order to become Miliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary
.
, Devon
and was at the Woodroffe Comprehensive School on Uplyme Road in Lyme Regis
, Dorset
, and the University of Southampton
, where he took a BSc
in Chemistry
, and was President of the Students' Union
in the academic year 1976-7.
After leaving education in 1977 he became an advice worker at the Energy Advice Agency in Durham
, before becoming a transport campaigner with Friends of the Earth
in 1978. He was Head of Youth Affairs at the British Council
from 1979 until 1983, and was responsible for public education and advocacy for War on Want
from 1984 to 1988. He subsequently worked for Christian Aid
, Oxfam
and other development agencies until his election to Westminster
.
in 1981, where he remained until 1989 when he was elected as a councillor on Southampton City Council, on which he served until 1993 and was the Chairman of the City's Housing Committee. He was selected to contest the Southampton Itchen seat at the 1983 general election
following the defection to the Social Democratic Party
of the sitting Labour MP Bob Mitchell. The election proved to be a close run affair with Denham coming in third place, Mitchell in second, and the victor was the Conservative
Christopher Chope
who gained the seat with a majority of 5,290.
Denham again contested the seat at the 1987 general election
, he overtook Mitchell into second place but was still behind Chope who held his seat with a majority of 6,716.
, when he defeated Chope by just 551 votes and has remained an MP since (since 1997 Chope has been MP for the safe Tory seat of Christchurch
, Dorset
.) Mitchell did not fight the election. Denham made his maiden speech
on 20 May 1992, reminding people that the Pilgrim Fathers left from Southampton, and not Plymouth
as is widely thought, on their historic voyage to North America.
John Denham has held the following positions:
by Tony Blair
in 1995 as a spokesman on social security
. After the 1997 general election
he entered the Blair government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security
, being promoted within the department to the rank of Minister of State
in 1998. Following the promotion to the cabinet of Alan Milburn
, Denham moved to the Department of Health
in 1999. He became a Member of the Privy Council
in 2000.
he became a Minister of State
at the Home Office
, until he resigned in March 2003 over the Iraq War. He had allegedly been promised, along with Peter Hain
, that he would be one of the next people to be promoted to the cabinet by Blair.
After his resignation, Denham was appointed in July 2003 as chairman of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee
. Despite speculation following the 2005 general election
that he would return as a member of the Government, he did not do so, although in the post-election reshuffle there were reports that he was offered – and accepted – the cabinet post of Chief Secretary to the Treasury
, before being told that the post had been assigned instead to Des Browne
.
Though regarded as a Blairite, Denham was a regular critic of the Blair administration as chair of the Home Affairs committee.
, Birkbeck, University of London
, and lifelong learning departments throughout the country, have voiced angry protest at the proposals.
During Denham's tenure as Secretary of State, he also announced an extension of maintenance grants to students from households earning up to £60,000 a year. The changes mean that an additional 50,000 students would be entitled to a full grant and an additional 100,000 students would be entitled to a partial grant.
As part of the Cabinet reshuffle on 5 June 2009, Denham was appointed to the role of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. He replaced Hazel Blears who had resigned from the post on 3 June 2009.
On 7 October 2011, Denham announced that he is to stand down at the next general election
, expected in 2015.
for several years, participating in many events and co-authoring a pamphlet on pensions as well as making several speeches and publishing articles in this forum.
He was seen as a government loyalist and Southampton University Students' Union had revoked his lifetime membership for his support of tuition fees. He married Ruth Eleanor Dixon and they have a son, Edward, and a daughter, Rosie (now a Labour councillor in Exeter); they have now divorced. He has another child, born in 2005. He is a keen follower of cricket, and was a strong athlete in his youth. He is also a Saints
fan, watching them whenever possible.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Denham announced he was a secular humanist
, although he also said he learnt a lot from his Church of England
upbringing.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Southampton Itchen since 1992
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
. He has previously served in the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
, as Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom, heading the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills . The post was created on 28 June 2007 from parts of the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and...
from 2007 to 2009, and then as the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....
from 2009 to 2010. He was the Shadow Business Secretary in Ed Miliband's
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
Shadow Cabinet from 2010 to 2011, when he announced that he would be standing down as an MP at the next election, and retired from the front-bench in order to become Miliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
.
Early life
John Denham was born in SeatonSeaton, Devon
Seaton is a seaside town in East Devon on the south coast of England. It faces onto Lyme Bay, to the west of the mouth of the River Axe with red cliffs to one side and white cliffs on the other. Axmouth and Beer are nearby...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and was at the Woodroffe Comprehensive School on Uplyme Road in Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, and the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
, where he took a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, and was President of the Students' Union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
in the academic year 1976-7.
After leaving education in 1977 he became an advice worker at the Energy Advice Agency in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, before becoming a transport campaigner with Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
in 1978. He was Head of Youth Affairs at the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
from 1979 until 1983, and was responsible for public education and advocacy for War on Want
War on Want
War on Want is an anti-poverty charity based in London, England. It seeks to highlight the needs of poverty-stricken areas around the world and lobbies governments and international agencies to tackle problems as well as raising public awareness of the concerns of developing nations while...
from 1984 to 1988. He subsequently worked for Christian Aid
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is the official relief and development agency of 40 British and Irish churches and works to support sustainable development, alleviate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia...
, Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
and other development agencies until his election to Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
.
Councillor
Prior to being elected as an MP, John Denham served as a local Councillor, initially as a member of the Hampshire County CouncilHampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
in 1981, where he remained until 1989 when he was elected as a councillor on Southampton City Council, on which he served until 1993 and was the Chairman of the City's Housing Committee. He was selected to contest the Southampton Itchen seat at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
following the defection to the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
of the sitting Labour MP Bob Mitchell. The election proved to be a close run affair with Denham coming in third place, Mitchell in second, and the victor was the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Christopher Chope
Christopher Chope
Christopher Robert Chope OBE is a British barrister and Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Christchurch.-Early life:...
who gained the seat with a majority of 5,290.
Denham again contested the seat at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, he overtook Mitchell into second place but was still behind Chope who held his seat with a majority of 6,716.
Member of Parliament
It proved third time lucky, as Denham finally took the seat at the 1992 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, when he defeated Chope by just 551 votes and has remained an MP since (since 1997 Chope has been MP for the safe Tory seat of Christchurch
Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.) Mitchell did not fight the election. Denham made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 20 May 1992, reminding people that the Pilgrim Fathers left from Southampton, and not Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
as is widely thought, on their historic voyage to North America.
John Denham has held the following positions:
- 1995–1997: Opposition Spokesman for Social Security
- 1997–1998: Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department of Social SecurityDepartment of Social SecurityThe Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
- 1998–1999: Minister of State at the Department of Social SecurityDepartment of Social SecurityThe Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
- 1999–2001: Minister of State for Health Services
- 2001–2003: Minister of State for Policing
- 2003–2007: Chairman of the Home Affairs Select CommitteeHome Affairs Select CommitteeThe Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
- 2007–2009: Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and SkillsSecretary of State for Innovation, Universities and SkillsThe Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom, heading the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills . The post was created on 28 June 2007 from parts of the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and...
- 2009–2010: Secretary of State for Communities and Local GovernmentSecretary of State for Communities and Local GovernmentThe Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....
- 2010–2011: Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
- 2011–present: Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private SecretaryA Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Leader of the Opposition
In government
In Parliament John Denham became a member of the Environment Select Committee in 1993, and was promoted to the frontbenchFrontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
by Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in 1995 as a spokesman on social security
Department of Social Security
The Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
. After the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
he entered the Blair government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security
Department of Social Security
The Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
, being promoted within the department to the rank of Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
in 1998. Following the promotion to the cabinet of Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Darlington from 1992 until 2010...
, Denham moved to the Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
in 1999. He became a Member of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 2000.
Resignation over Iraq War
Following the 2001 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
he became a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, until he resigned in March 2003 over the Iraq War. He had allegedly been promised, along with Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
, that he would be one of the next people to be promoted to the cabinet by Blair.
After his resignation, Denham was appointed in July 2003 as chairman of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
. Despite speculation following the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
that he would return as a member of the Government, he did not do so, although in the post-election reshuffle there were reports that he was offered – and accepted – the cabinet post of Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is the third most senior ministerial position in HM Treasury, after the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer . In recent years, the office holder has usually been given a junior position in the British Cabinet...
, before being told that the post had been assigned instead to Des Browne
Des Browne
Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010...
.
Though regarded as a Blairite, Denham was a regular critic of the Blair administration as chair of the Home Affairs committee.
Return to Government
Following Brown's installation as Prime Minister in June 2007, Denham was named to take over the new post of Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills. In September 2007, he announced funding for students taking second degrees would be re-allocated to allow more students to take first degrees: adult and continuing education institutions such as the Open UniversityOpen University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
, and lifelong learning departments throughout the country, have voiced angry protest at the proposals.
During Denham's tenure as Secretary of State, he also announced an extension of maintenance grants to students from households earning up to £60,000 a year. The changes mean that an additional 50,000 students would be entitled to a full grant and an additional 100,000 students would be entitled to a partial grant.
As part of the Cabinet reshuffle on 5 June 2009, Denham was appointed to the role of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. He replaced Hazel Blears who had resigned from the post on 3 June 2009.
On 7 October 2011, Denham announced that he is to stand down at the next general election
Next United Kingdom general election
The United Kingdom general election of 2010 was held on Thursday 6 May 2010 to elect members to the House of Commons. The election took place in 650 constituencies across the United Kingdom under the first-past-the-post system. None of the parties achieved the 326 seats needed for an overall majority...
, expected in 2015.
Personal life
John Denham has also been a member of the Executive Committee of the Fabian SocietyFabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
for several years, participating in many events and co-authoring a pamphlet on pensions as well as making several speeches and publishing articles in this forum.
He was seen as a government loyalist and Southampton University Students' Union had revoked his lifetime membership for his support of tuition fees. He married Ruth Eleanor Dixon and they have a son, Edward, and a daughter, Rosie (now a Labour councillor in Exeter); they have now divorced. He has another child, born in 2005. He is a keen follower of cricket, and was a strong athlete in his youth. He is also a Saints
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
fan, watching them whenever possible.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Denham announced he was a secular humanist
Secular humanism
Secular Humanism, alternatively known as Humanism , is a secular philosophy that embraces human reason, ethics, justice, and the search for human fulfillment...
, although he also said he learnt a lot from his Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
upbringing.
External links
- John Denham MP official site
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