Hazel Blears

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

(Born 1956)

Hazel Blears was born in Salford in 1956 and educated at Trent Polytechnic and Chester College of Law. Before entering Parliament she was a solicitor in a private practice and local government.

Blears contested Tatton and Bury South in 1987 and 1992 and was elected as the first female MP for Salford in 1997. She was PPS for Alan Milburn as Minister of State at the Health Department in 1998 and when he was Chief Secretary to the Treasury between January and October 1999.

She was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health in June 2001 and was promoted to Minister of Public Health in 2002.

In June 2003, Blears moved to the Home Office, and was promoted to Minister of State.

After the cabinet reshuffle of May 2006, Blears was appointed Chair of The Labour Party and Minister Without Portfolio.

Blears was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in Gordon Brown's government on 28 June 2007.

She has been married to Michael Halsall since 1989.

(Sources: The Labour Party, dodonline)