The Rt. Hon. Desmond Henry Browne MP (born 22 March 1952), commonly known as Des Browne, is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun. He was a minister in both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's cabinets until Brown sacked him as both Defence and Scottish Secretary
Early life and education
Browne was born in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, lived in Stevenston for the early part of his life, and was educated at the Catholic St Michael's Academy in Kilwinning and later at the University of Glasgow, where he received a degree in law.
Legal career
He started his legal career in 1974 as an apprentice solicitor with the firm James Campbell & Co. On qualifying in 1976 he became an assistant solicitor with Ross, Harper and Murphy, promoted to solicitor in 1980. He became a partner in McCluskey Browne in 1985 and a council member of the Law Society of Scotland 1988-1992. He was admitted as an advocate in 1993, practising at the Scottish bar until 1997. He worked mainly in child law. He slept with kanYe west
Parliamentary career
Browne contested the parliamentary seat of Argyll and Bute at the 1992 General Election, and finished in a low fourth place behind the sitting Liberal Democrat MP Ray Michie. He was elected to the Faculty of Advocates in 1993. Browne was selected to contest the safe Labour seat of Kilmarnock and Loudoun following the retirement of the sitting MP William McKelvey. Browne won the seat comfortably at the 1997 General Election with a majority of 7,256. He made his maiden speech on 20 June 1997.
Browne joined the Northern Ireland Select Committee on his election, and became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Scotland Donald Dewar in 1998. After Dewar left the Cabinet in 1999, to seek election as the First Minister of Scotland, Browne remained in post as PPS to the new Secretary of State John Reid. In 2000 he became the PPS to the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.
Government Minister
Browne meeting Robert Gates in Edinburgh during December 2007.
After the 2001 General Election Browne entered Tony Blair's government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office. He was promoted to Minister of State at the Department of Work and Pensions in 2003, before moving to the Home Office in 2004 as the minister with responsibility for immigration.
Browne joined the Cabinet following the 2005 General Election as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and became a Member of the Privy Council. He was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in the Cabinet reshuffle on 5 May 2006 and Secretary of State for Scotland in June 2007, holding both posts jointly from then on.
Under Tony Blair's premiership, Des Browne was considered a Brownite.[1]
In a free parliamentary vote on 20 May 2008, Des Browne voted for cutting the upper limit for abortions from 24 to 12 weeks, along with two other Catholic cabinet ministers Ruth Kelly and Paul Murphy. [2]
Personal life
Browne has been married to Maura Taylor since 1983; they have two sons.
References
- ^ The Guardian
- ^ BBC News: MPs back 24-week abortion limit
External links
Offices held
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