Andy Burnham
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Andy Burnham is a former special adviser to Labour's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Chris Smith.[1] He is now MP for Leigh and the current Shadow Secretary of State for Health.
Background
Liverpool-born Burnham was educated at St Aelred's Roman Catholic High School in Merseyside and later gained an MA in English from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He joined the Labour Party in 1984, during the miners' strike, aged 14.[2] From 1994 to 1997, Burnham worked as a Researcher to the MP Tessa Jowell. From August to December in 1997, he was Parliamentary Officer at the NHS Confederation and in 1998 started work as an administrator for the Football Task Force. From 1998 to 2001, Burnham was a special adviser to the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Chris Smith. In June 2001, he was elected as the Labour MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester. His subsequent posts are as follows[3]:
- 2001 to 2003: Member of the Health Select Committee
- 2003 to 2004: Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary David Blunkett
- 2004: Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly
Government positions:
- 2005 to 2006: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality at the Home Office
- May 2006 to June 2007: Minister of State for Delivery and Reform at the Department of Health
Cabinet positions:
- June 2007 to January 2008: Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- January 2008 to June 2009: Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
- June 2009: Secretary of State for Health
- May 2010: Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Burnham is married to Marie-France Van Heel, former head of marketing at MTV, BSkyB and Littlewoods Gaming; former Planning Director at Creative Communication Agency WRG; and now a director at MvH Marketing Ltd.[4]
2010, Labour leadership contest
In May 2010, Burnham announced his intention to stand in the Labour leadership contest following the resignation of Gordon Brown. He promised to put an end to "stage managed" politics run by "elites", adding "I am a team-player; I've never had time for factions".[5]
Contact, Resources, Notes
Notes
- ↑ Info-Dynamics Research, "Where are they now? The 1997/1998 Special Advisers to the Labour Government", GMB: April 2006 Briefing, p10, accessed 24.09.10
- ↑ "New Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport", BACTA, 28.01.08, accessed 24.09.10
- ↑ "Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP", Department of Health, 30.09.09, accessed 24.09.10
- ↑ Kirsty Walker, "Wife of Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham has double mastectomy", The Daily Mail, 03.06.10, accessed 24.09.10
- ↑ Staff writers, "Andy Burnham and Diane Abbott join Labour leadership race", The Telegraph, 19.05.10, accessed 24.09.10
