James Purnell
Encyclopedia
James Mark Dakin Purnell (born 2 March 1970) is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Stalybridge and Hyde from 2001
to 2010. He is currently the Head of the Open Left project at the left leaning think tank Demos
. He has previously served in the Cabinet
as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
; he resigned from the Government on 4 June 2009, criticising the leadership of Gordon Brown
.
, he received most of his education in France before returning to study for his A Levels at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford
and then taking a first
in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Balliol College
, Oxford.
As a student he worked in the summer holidays as a researcher to Tony Blair
from 1989 to 1992. After graduating he worked as a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research
before moving to the BBC
to become Head of Corporate Planning. In 1997 Purnell returned to work as a special adviser at Number 10
until 2001. He also served as a board member of the Young Vic theatre.
2002-04.
in the Cabinet Office
, and in December 2004 he joined the Government as a Whip
in the government reshuffle following the resignation of David Blunkett
.
After Labour's General Election
success in 2005, he was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Creative Industries and Tourism in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
where he was in charge of putting through the legislation that liberalised England and Wales' alcohol licensing laws and modernized tax breaks for the film industry. In May 2006 he was promoted to be Minister of State
for Pensions in the Department for Work and Pensions
, replacing Stephen Timms
.
In 2007 he was named Consumer Champion Of The Year by Which?
magazine for his work on pensions. Which? cited his "commitment to consumers in the development of the national pensions saving scheme", particularly for listening to stakeholders and for his contributions to the personal accounts for low and middle earners.
In June 2007, he entered the Cabinet
as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
; he was its youngest member. He was promoted to Work and Pensions Secretary after the resignation of Peter Hain
on 24 January 2008.
as part of a press release for the Tameside Hospital Private Finance Initiative
(PFI) rebuilding deal. The Tameside Trust claimed that Purnell agreed to the amalgamation of the two photographs, as he was late for the original photo call, but Purnell denied this. Another Labour MP, Tom Levitt
, present for the photoshoot stated that he and other Labour MPs deliberately left a gap for Purnell when the original photograph was taken, knowing that Purnell's image would be superimposed onto their photograph.
, which are currently interest-free, at a rate of up to 26.8 percent per annum. This was met with great hostility and was blocked by the intervention of Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
.
Whilst renting a flat between 2004 and 2006 Purnell claimed £100 a month for cleaning expenses and £586 for repairs. At the end of the lease the landlord kept the £2,520 deposit, claiming the flat to have been in a poor state. A spokesman for Purnell stated: "James felt frustrated that the landlord refused to return the deposit. He initially pursued the matter through legal channels but let it rest as the costs of fighting it further would far outweigh recouping the deposit". Allegation were made by a Sunday newspaper that Purnell claimed more than £1,500 pounds a month rent for the flat although he was half of the £1,820 a month rent and his fiancée was paying the rest. A spokesman for Purnell said "Despite being entitled to claim in full for the whole rental cost incurred by him and his partner, James claimed less than the amount he himself spent. The rules of the House of Commons make it clear that an MP is entitled to be reimbursed for the rent or mortgage paid by the MP and their partner. Nevertheless, James went out of his way to ensure overall he claimed less for accommodation than he himself paid". Purnell also claimed £247 for 3,000 fridge magnets.
to resign as Prime Minister
. His resignation came only days after the resignations of Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith
, whose expenses had also caused controversy, and Communities Secretary
Hazel Blears
, who had also avoided paying capital gains tax on her property.
The news came just minutes after polls closed in the local
and European elections
- in which Labour performed disastrously.
His letter to the Prime Minister, which was also sent to a number of newspapers as well, read:
as occupying him in the immediate future.
Since leaving parliament, Purnell is also working on a project on leftwing politics, and is also the chair of the IPPR. It was touted that he would stand for the Labour candidacy to become Mayor of London
, but he decided not to. It was also briefly rumoured amongst the media that he might stand for the position of BBC Chairman - but that has not happened.
James Purnell supported the front-runner, David Miliband
, in the Labour leadership and worked in his campaign. However, he was offered a job by new leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband
, to become his new chief of staff, however he turned down the job. There is widespread speculation, that Purnell will return to frontline politics.. In recent months, Purnell has become linked with the Blue Labour
tendency within the Labour Party. On 7th April 2011, the Boston Consulting Group announced they have hired James Purnell as a "Special Advisor to their Public Sector Group".
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British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
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 was 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 Stalybridge and Hyde from 2001
United 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...
to 2010. He is currently the Head of the Open Left project at the left leaning think tank Demos
Demos (UK think tank)
- History :Demos was founded in 1993 by former Marxism Today editor Martin Jacques, and Geoff Mulgan, who became its first director. It was formed in response to what Mulgan, Jacques and others saw as a crisis in politics in Britain, with voter engagement in decline and political institutions...
. He has previously served in the Cabinet
Brown Ministry
Gordon Brown took office as Prime Minister on 27 June 2007 and formed his Government. It ended, upon his resignation, on 11 May 2010. In his inaugural cabinet Brown appointed the UKs first female Home Secretary Jacqui Smith....
as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a post in the British Cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. It was created on 8 June 2001 by the merger of the Employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security.The Ministry...
and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport is a United Kingdom cabinet position with responsibility for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The role was created in 1992 by John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage...
; he resigned from the Government on 4 June 2009, criticising the leadership of Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
.
Early life
Born in the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, he received most of his education in France before returning to study for his A Levels at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford
Royal Grammar School, Guildford
The Royal Grammar School is a selective English independent day school for boys in Guildford, Surrey. The school dates its founding to the death of Robert Beckingham in 1509 who left provision in his will to 'make a free scole at the Towne of Guldford'; in 1512 a governing body was set up to form...
and then taking a first
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, Oxford.
As a student he worked in the summer holidays as a researcher to 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...
from 1989 to 1992. After graduating he worked as a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research
Institute for Public Policy Research
The IPPR is the leading progressive think-tank in the UK. It produces research and policy ideas committed to upholding values of social justice, democratic reform and environmental sustainability. IPPR is based in London and IPPR North has branches in Newcastle and Manchester.It was founded in...
before moving to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to become Head of Corporate Planning. In 1997 Purnell returned to work as a special adviser at Number 10
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
until 2001. He also served as a board member of the Young Vic theatre.
Member of Parliament
Purnell was selected as the Labour candidate for the seat of Stalybridge and Hyde in 2001, and won the seat in that year's general election with a majority of 8,859. As a Labour Member of Parliament, he was a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee in the House of Commons 2001-03, the Chair of the All Party Group on Private Equity and Venture Capital 2002-03, and the Chair of Labour Friends of IsraelLabour Friends of Israel
Labour Friends of Israel is a lobby group promoting support within the British Labour Party for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the British and the Israeli Labour party...
2002-04.
In government
In 2003 Purnell became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Ruth KellyRuth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
in the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
, and in December 2004 he joined the Government as a Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the government reshuffle following the resignation of David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
.
After Labour's General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
success in 2005, he was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
for Creative Industries and Tourism in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, such as broadcasting and internet....
where he was in charge of putting through the legislation that liberalised England and Wales' alcohol licensing laws and modernized tax breaks for the film industry. In May 2006 he was promoted to be 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...
for Pensions in the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
, replacing Stephen Timms
Stephen Timms
Stephen Creswell Timms is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for East Ham since 1994. He is a former Cabinet Minister having served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2006 to 2007...
.
In 2007 he was named Consumer Champion Of The Year by Which?
Which?
Which? is a product-testing and consumer campaigning charity with a magazine, website and various other services run by Which? Ltd ....
magazine for his work on pensions. Which? cited his "commitment to consumers in the development of the national pensions saving scheme", particularly for listening to stakeholders and for his contributions to the personal accounts for low and middle earners.
In June 2007, he entered 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 the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport is a United Kingdom cabinet position with responsibility for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The role was created in 1992 by John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage...
; he was its youngest member. He was promoted to Work and Pensions Secretary after the resignation of 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...
on 24 January 2008.
Faked photograph
In September 2007, a photograph of James Purnell was faked and released by the press office at Tameside General HospitalTameside General Hospital
Tameside General Hospital is an National Health Service hospital situated in Ashton-under-Lyne. Run by Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, it serves the surrounding area of Tameside in Greater Manchester, and the town of Glossop in Derbyshire...
as part of a press release for the Tameside Hospital Private Finance Initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
(PFI) rebuilding deal. The Tameside Trust claimed that Purnell agreed to the amalgamation of the two photographs, as he was late for the original photo call, but Purnell denied this. Another Labour MP, Tom Levitt
Tom Levitt
Tom Levitt is a British Labour Party politician, and was the longest-serving Labour Member of Parliament for High Peak, from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
, present for the photoshoot stated that he and other Labour MPs deliberately left a gap for Purnell when the original photograph was taken, knowing that Purnell's image would be superimposed onto their photograph.
Interest on crisis loans proposal
In December 2008, Purnell proposed charging interest on crisis loans to the unemployed and pensioners made by the Department for Work and PensionsDepartment for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
, which are currently interest-free, at a rate of up to 26.8 percent per annum. This was met with great hostility and was blocked by the intervention of Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
.
Expenses scandal
In 2009, Purnell was one of many MPs involved in a political scandal following the disclosure of expenses of Members of the United Kingdom Parliament. Purnell told the parliamentary authorities that his main home was in Manchester and claimed the "second home" allowance for his flat in London. In October 2004, Purnell sold his London flat but told HM Revenue and Customs it was his "principal home", not his "second home". A spokesman on behalf of Purnell said that "Any allegation that James avoided capital gains tax is completely untrue. When he bought his constituency home, the sale of his London flat fell through, but it was sold within the period that HMRC continue to treat it as not being liable for CGT ... This would have been true for any taxpayer – there was no special treatment". Also in 2004 Purnell claimed £395 for an accountant's bill which included "tax advice provided in October 2004 regarding sale of flat".Whilst renting a flat between 2004 and 2006 Purnell claimed £100 a month for cleaning expenses and £586 for repairs. At the end of the lease the landlord kept the £2,520 deposit, claiming the flat to have been in a poor state. A spokesman for Purnell stated: "James felt frustrated that the landlord refused to return the deposit. He initially pursued the matter through legal channels but let it rest as the costs of fighting it further would far outweigh recouping the deposit". Allegation were made by a Sunday newspaper that Purnell claimed more than £1,500 pounds a month rent for the flat although he was half of the £1,820 a month rent and his fiancée was paying the rest. A spokesman for Purnell said "Despite being entitled to claim in full for the whole rental cost incurred by him and his partner, James claimed less than the amount he himself spent. The rules of the House of Commons make it clear that an MP is entitled to be reimbursed for the rent or mortgage paid by the MP and their partner. Nevertheless, James went out of his way to ensure overall he claimed less for accommodation than he himself paid". Purnell also claimed £247 for 3,000 fridge magnets.
Resignation from Cabinet
On 4 June 2009 Purnell, announced his resignation from the Cabinet, calling upon Gordon BrownGordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
to resign as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. His resignation came only days after the resignations of Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Jacqui Smith
Jacqui Smith
Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...
, whose expenses had also caused controversy, and Communities Secretary
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....
Hazel Blears
Hazel Blears
Hazel Anne Blears is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles since 2010 and was previously the MP for Salford since 1997...
, who had also avoided paying capital gains tax on her property.
The news came just minutes after polls closed in the local
United Kingdom local elections, 2009
The 2009 United Kingdom local elections were elections held to all 27 County Councils, three existing Unitary Authorities and five new Unitary Authorities, all in England, on 4 June 2009...
and European elections
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
- in which Labour performed disastrously.
His letter to the Prime Minister, which was also sent to a number of newspapers as well, read:
Standing down from Parliament
On 19 February 2010, James Purnell announced he would be standing down as an MP later that year, saying "I have decided that I no longer wish to be an MP. I have spent all my working life in or about Westminster. And while this has been a huge privilege, I've realised I don't want to have spent all my life in frontline politics." He pointed to his work with DemosDemos (UK think tank)
- History :Demos was founded in 1993 by former Marxism Today editor Martin Jacques, and Geoff Mulgan, who became its first director. It was formed in response to what Mulgan, Jacques and others saw as a crisis in politics in Britain, with voter engagement in decline and political institutions...
as occupying him in the immediate future.
Since leaving parliament, Purnell is also working on a project on leftwing politics, and is also the chair of the IPPR. It was touted that he would stand for the Labour candidacy to become Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, but he decided not to. It was also briefly rumoured amongst the media that he might stand for the position of BBC Chairman - but that has not happened.
James Purnell supported the front-runner, David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
, in the Labour leadership and worked in his campaign. However, he was offered a job by new leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
, to become his new chief of staff, however he turned down the job. There is widespread speculation, that Purnell will return to frontline politics.. In recent months, Purnell has become linked with the Blue Labour
Blue Labour
Blue Labour is an influential political tendency in the British Labour Party that was "effectively disbanded" in July 2011 following remarks about immigration by Maurice Glasman, though political commentators argue that its ideas still have strong influence with the Labour leadership...
tendency within the Labour Party. On 7th April 2011, the Boston Consulting Group announced they have hired James Purnell as a "Special Advisor to their Public Sector Group".
External links
- Official site
- The Guardian: Purnell's progress
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: James Purnell MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - James Purnell MP
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