The Right Honourable  Alan Johnson MP
Secretary of State for Health
Incumbent
Assumed office  28 June 2007
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Patricia Hewitt
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
In office 5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Ruth Kelly
Succeeded by	Ed Balls (as Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families) & John Denham (as Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills)
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry President of the Board of Trade
In office 6 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Patricia Hewitt
Succeeded by	Alistair Darling
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In office 8 September 2004 – 6 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Patricia Hewitt
Succeeded by	David Blunkett
Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle
Incumbent
Assumed office  1 May 1997
Preceded by	Stuart Randall
Majority	9,450 (34.0%)
Born	17 May 1950 (1950-05-17) (age 57) London, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Religion	None (atheist)
Website	www.AlanJohnson.org

Alan Arthur Johnson (born 17 May 1950, London) is a British Labour Party politician and the Secretary of State for Health^[1]. He has been the Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle since 1997. In 2004 he became the first trade union leader to become a Cabinet minister since Frank Cousins in 1964. The Right Honourable (abbreviated as or ) is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and in other Commonwealth Realms, and elsewhere. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... Minister of Health redirects here. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ... Patricia Hope Hewitt (born 2 December 1948) is a British politician. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Ruth Maria Kelly (born 9 May 1968) is a British politician. ... Edward Michael Balls (born 25 February 1967) is a British politician, and Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for the West Yorkshire constituency of Normanton. ... The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. ... John Yorke Denham (born July 15, 1953) British politician, Labour Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen and Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills. ... The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Patricia Hope Hewitt (born 2 December 1948) is a British politician. ... Alistair Maclean Darling (born November 28, 1953) is a British politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer since June 28, 2007. ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Patricia Hope Hewitt (born 2 December 1948) is a British politician. ... David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947) is a British Labour Party politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside since 1987. ... Hull West and Hessle is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Minister of Health redirects here. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Hull West and Hessle is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Lawrence textile strike (1912), with soldiers surrounding peaceful demonstrators A trade union or labor union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas of wages, hours, and working conditions. ... The term General Secretary (alternatively First Secretary) denotes a leader of various unions, parties or associations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Frank Cousins (1904-1986) was a British trade union leader and Labour politician. ...

Early life

Born in London and orphaned at the age of 12 years when his mother died, Johnson was then effectively brought up by his older sister when the two were assigned a council flat by their child welfare officer.^[2][3] He passed the 11 plus exam and attended Sloane Grammar School in Chelsea and left school at the age of 15 years.^[3] He then stacked shelves at Tesco before becoming a postman at 18, though this is something he has painstakingly attempted to keep quiet over the years. He is interested in music and joined two pop music bands.^[3] Johnson joined the Union of Communication Workers, becoming a branch official ideologically aligned with the Communist Party of Great Britain.^[4] A full-time union official from 1987, he became general secretary of the newly-formed Communication Workers Union in 1993 following a series of union mergers. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Orphan (disambiguation). ... The council house is a form of public housing found in the United Kingdom. ... In the United States, the term child welfare is used to describe a set of government services designed to protect children and encourage family stability. ... Sloane is a name referring to several things: Sloane Momsen Lily Sloane, a character in Star Trek Lindsay Sloane, American actress Neil Sloane (), U.S. mathematician Neil Sloanes On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, often referred to as Sloane Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753), Scottish collector and physician James... A grammar school is a school that may, depending on regional usage as exemplified below, provide either secondary education or, a much less common usage, primary education (also known as elementary). Grammar schools trace their origins back to medieval Europe, as schools in which university preparatory subjects, such as Latin... Statue of Thomas More on Cheyne Walk. ... , For other uses, see Tesco (disambiguation). ... A Melbourne Postie riding a walkthrough A postman (sometimes known as a mailman or letter carrier in North America and a postie in Australia) delivers the post (sometimes known as mail in North America. ... The Union of Communication Workers was a trade union in the United Kingdom for workers in the post office and telecommunications industries. ... The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist party in the United Kingdom. ... The term General Secretary (alternatively First Secretary) denotes a leader of various unions, parties or associations. ... The Communication Workers Union is the main trade union in the United Kingdom for people working for telephone, cable and postal delivery companies, with 300,000 members. ...

Before entering Parliament Johnson was a member of Labour's National Executive Committee. During this time he was the only major union leader to support the abolition of Clause IV. Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. ... Clause IV of the United Kingdom Labour Party constitution sets out the aims and values of the party, and has been the object of political fights over its direction. ...

Member of Parliament

Just three weeks before the 1997 general election Johnson was selected to stand for Parliament in the safe Labour seat of Hull West and Hessle when the previous incumbent, Stuart Randall, stood down suddenly. Randall was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords. The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (usually just Hull West and Hessle) is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Stuart Jeffrey Randall, Baron Randall of St Budeaux (born 22 June 1938) was a British Labour politician. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ...

In government

He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Dawn Primarolo in 1997 and achieved his first ministerial post at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1999. He was moved to the Department for Education and Skills in 2003 as Minister for Higher Education though he had left school at 15. A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). ... The Right Honourable Dawn Primarolo (born May 2, 1954, London, Mrs Ian Ducat) is a British Member of Parliament for Bristol South. ... The Department of Trade and Industry is a United Kingdom government department. ... The Department for Education and Skills is a department in the United Kingdom government created in 2001. ... The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ...

Johnson entered the Cabinet in September 2004 as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions after the resignation of Andrew Smith. After the 2005 election he was appointed to the post of Secretary of State for Productivity, Energy and Industry as head of a department which replaced the DTI but which soon reverted to the old name. On 5 May 2006, one day after the English local elections, his brief was changed to that of Secretary of State for Education and Skills, replacing Ruth Kelly. He became Secretary of State for Health on 28 June 2007, succeeding Patricia Hewitt. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ... For other persons named Andrew Smith, see Andrew Smith (disambiguation). ... Barring a change in the law, the next general election in the United Kingdom must be held some time before June 30, 2006. ... The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Local government elections took place in England (only) on Thursday May 4, 2006. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... Ruth Maria Kelly (born 9 May 1968) is a British politician. ... Minister of Health redirects here. ...

There have been many reports that Alan Johnson was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain from 1975 to 1983. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist party in the United Kingdom. ...

Education Secretary

During his time as education secretary, Johnson brought in new ideas and proposals, including ecouraging parents to spend more time with their children in a bid to help them progress with their literacy and numeracy skills.^[5] Johnson has also previously expressed some concerns over diplomas.^[6] Johnson has also opened-up a debate in parliament discussing what parental situation is best. He stated it is the parents themselves who make the difference not what marital situation they are in^[7]. Johnson looked at improving pay and working conditions for teachers during his tenure as Education Secretary^[8].

Deputy Leadership

Johnson publicly stated in May 2006 he expected to stand for the post of Deputy Leader of the Labour Party when John Prescott stepped down. Some suggested he might stand against Gordon Brown for the leadership of the Labour Party when Tony Blair resigned, and various reports in the summer of 2006 suggested he would become the favoured candidate of the Blairite faction^{[citation needed]}. For other persons named John Prescott, see John Prescott (disambiguation). ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency...

Johnson told the BBC in an interview on November 9 2006^[9] that he would in fact be supporting Brown and standing as deputy leader. He was successfully nominated onto the ballot paper for Labour Deputy leader with most number of nominations. On 24 June 2007^[10], Johnson was narrowly beaten for the deputy leadership by Harriet Harman. He lead in rounds 2 to 4 of the voting, until he was overtaken by Harman in the last round, eventually finishing with 49.56% of the vote. The 2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election is a British political party election for the position of Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and in the event of the leader for some reason having to stand down or dying then the Deputy Leader becomes leader, John Prescott has announced that... Harriet Ruth Harman QC MP (born 30 July 1950) is a British solicitor (professional legal adviser) and Labour politician. ...

Personal life

• Married 1st, 1968, Judith Cox (divorced) (1 son, 2 daughters).
• Married 2nd, August 3, 1991, Laura Jane Patient (1 son).

Johnson is open about being an atheist and has categorically stated to the press that he does not believe in the existence of a God^[11]. For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New Statesman is a left-of-centre political weekly published in London. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Alan Johnson MP official site
• Alan Johnson Deputy Leadership campaign official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Alan Johnson MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Alan Johnson MP
• New Statesman - NS Profile: Alan Johnson 29 November 2004
• BBC: Alan Johnson MP 22 October 2002

v • d • e Brown Cabinet
Alexander | Ashton | Balls | Benn | Blears | Brown | Browne | Burnham | Cooper | Darling | Denham | Harman | Hoon | Hutton | Johnson | Kelly | D. Miliband | E. Miliband | Murphy | Purnell | J. Smith | Straw | Woodward In attendance: Austin | Flint | Hughes | Jowell | Malloch-Brown | Royall | Scotland | A. Smith