John Hutton

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

(Born 1955)

John Hutton was born in 1955 and educated at Westcliff High School in Southend and Magdalen College Oxford. Before entering Parliament he was a legal assistant at the CBI and a research Fellow at Templeton College in Oxford. He also lectured in Senior Law at Newcastle Polytechnic.

He contested Penrith and the Border in the 1987 General Election and was elected MP for Barrow and Furness in the 1992 General Election.

He was PPS to Margaret Beckett during her time as President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons.

Following this he was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State during 1998-1999 and Minister of State for Health between 1999 and 2005. He served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office in 2005 and has held the position of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since 2005.

He is married to Heather and has 3 sons, 1 daughter, and 1 son deceased from his first marriage.

(Sources: The Labour Party, epolitix)