NationMaster - Encyclopedia: David Blunkett

David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947) is a British Labour Party politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside since 1987. Blind since birth and from a poor family, he rose to become Education Secretary from 1997 to 2001, and then Home Secretary from 2001 to 2004, when he resigned after a scandal. Following the 2005 General Election he was appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions but was again forced to resign on 2 November 2005 after a series of reports about his external business interests during his brief time outside the cabinet. June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining // 1508 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year truce and cede several territories to Venice 1513... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the principal political party of the left in the United Kingdom. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Sheffield Brightside is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield. ... Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or psychological factors. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Home Secretary) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early life

Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Blunkett grew up in poverty after his father was killed following an industrial accident when David was 12 years old. (The elder Blunkett, a foreman, fell into a vat of boiling water while at work for the East Midlands Gas Board and died a month later. The company refused to pay compensation for two years because he was working past retirement age.) Blind since birth, and educated at schools for the blind in Sheffield and Shrewsbury, Blunkett's chances in life seemed limited. Following his father's death, he was sent on assessment to the School for the Blind in Worcester, where he failed to gain entry. His failed assessment is said to be partly deliberate, due to his rebellious nature and dislike of public schools. However, he later attended the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford. Indeed, he was apparently told at school that one of his few options in life was to become a lathe operator. Nevertheless, he won a place at the University of Sheffield, where one of his lecturers was Bernard Crick, and went on to enter local politics on graduation. He worked as a clerk typist between 1967 and 1969 and as a lecturer in industrial relations and politics between 1973 and 1981. For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... South Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber Government Office Region of England, in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the town of Shrewsbury in England. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced ) is a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England, situated some 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Birmingham and 29 miles (47 km) north of Gloucester. ... An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school that relies for all or most of its funding on non-governmental sources. ... Statistics Population: 50,154 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO515405 Administration District: Herefordshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Herefordshire Historic county: Herefordshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: West Midlands Post office and telephone Post town: HEREFORD Postal... Conventional metalworking lathe In woodturning, metalworking, metal spinning, and glassworking, a lathe is a machine tool which spins a block of material so that when abrasive, cutting, or deformation tools are applied to the block, it can be shaped to produce an object which has rotational symmetry about an axis... The University of Sheffield is a research university, located in Sheffield, United Kingdom. ... Sir Bernard Crick (born 16 December 1929) is a British political theorist whose views are often summarised as politics is ethics done in public. He seeks to arrive at a politics of action, as opposed to a politics of thought or of ideology. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ...

Rise in politics

Blunkett became the youngest-ever councillor on Sheffield City Council, being elected in 1970 at the age of 22 whilst a teacher. He served on Sheffield City Council from 1970 to 1988, becoming Leader from 1980 to 1987 and on South Yorkshire County Council from 1973 to 1977. This was a time of decline for Sheffield's steel industry. Conservative MP Irvine Patnick coined the phrase "People's Republic of South Yorkshire" to describe the left-wing politics of its local government; Sheffield was designated as a nuclear-free zone.^[1] Blunkett became known as the leader of one of the furthest left of the Labour councils,^[2] which was regularly denounced as "loony left" by the newspapers of the right. He built up support within the Labour Party during his time as the council's leader during the 1980s and was elected to the Labour Party's National Executive Committee. A councillor is a member of a council (such as a city council), particularly in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other parts of the Commonwealth. ... Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. ... Look up steel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sir Cyril Irvine Patnick, OBE (b. ... The Peoples Republic of South Yorkshire or The Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire, is a satirical reference to Sheffield. ... Leftism redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Left-Right politics. ... The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. ...

At the 1987 general election he was elected MP for Sheffield Brightside with a large majority in a safe Labour seat. He became a party spokesman on local government, joined the shadow cabinet in 1992 as Shadow Health Secretary and became Shadow Education Secretary in 1994. Combining reforming zeal with social conservatism, he became a favourite of new party leader Tony Blair. Margaret Thatcher Neil Kinnock David Steel Election 1987 Titles The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987 and was the third consecutive victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Sheffield Brightside is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield. ... Local governments are administrative offices of an area smaller than a state or province. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... SoCon redirects here, for the athletic conference see: Southern Conference // Social conservatism, is a political philosophy that supports what its adherents believe to be traditional morality. They are not opposed to social change per se, but believe that any changes should be directed in such a way as to prohibit... The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the UK Labour Party, and Member of the UK Parliament...

As Education Secretary

After Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election, he became the UK's first blind cabinet minister as Secretary of State for Education and Employment. The role of Education Secretary was a vital one in a government whose Prime Minister had in 1996 described his priority as "education, education, education" and which had made reductions in school class sizes a pledge. In the event it was higher education that proved to be the most controversial issue for Blunkett as he moved towards the imposition of tuition fees at public universities which had previously been free. In politics, a landslide victory (or just a landslide) is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming majority in an election. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ... Tuition means instruction, teaching or a fee charged for educational instruction especially at a formal institution of learning. ... A public university is an institution of higher education that is funded by public means through a national or regional government. ...

As Home Secretary

At the start of the Labour government's second term in 2001, Blunkett was promoted to Home Secretary, fulfilling an ambition of his. Observers saw him as a rival to Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown's hopes to succeed Blair as the next Labour party leader and potential Prime Minister. The Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Home Secretary) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ... The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British cabinet minister responsible for all financial matters. ... Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom and a Labour Party politician. ...

Appearing to be tough on immigration and asylum was important for Blunkett during his time at the Home Office. In December 2001, he controversially called for immigrants to develop a greater "sense of belonging" to Britain. In April 2002, he proposed new powers which he claimed would curb illegal immigration and unfounded claims for political asylum. Meanwhile, his department in Sheffield was accepting immigration applications with only cursory security checks. When a whistle-blower made this public, both the whistle blower and one of Blunkett's subordinates lost their posts but Blunkett survived.^[3] The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A refugee is a person seeking asylum in a foreign country in order to escape persecution, war, terrorism, extreme poverty, famines, and natural disaster. ...

Another controversial area for Blunkett was civil liberties, which he famously described as "airy fairy".^[4]. As Education Secretary, he had repeatedly expressed the intention that, were he to become Home Secretary, he would make the then-incumbent Jack Straw, who had been criticised for being hard-line, seem overly liberal. Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ... John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ...

On 15 January 2003, he was at the centre of controversy again when at a gathering of Asian and Black Home Office Employees in London he made a joke: "Colin Jackson succeeded, despite being Welsh". The comment caused great controversy amongst senior Welsh Nationalists but the Labour party rallied around Blunkett and the matter was quietly dropped. January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Colin Ray Jackson (born February 18, 1967 in Cardiff, Wales) was a sprint and hurdling athlete and now works as a sports commentator and television presenter predominantly for the BBC. He attended Llanedeyrn High School playing football and cricket for the county and rugby and basketball for his school. ... This article is about the country. ... Welsh nationalism is the Welsh expression of nationalism, a movement that became popular in nineteenth-century Europe and gradually became a global phenomenon in the twentieth century. ...

In 2003, he announced an extension of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which critics condemned as a "snoopers' charter". His Criminal Justice Act 2003 reduced legal safeguards such as the right to trial by jury and double jeopardy rules. He also attempted to introduce compulsory national identity cards (initially called "entitlement cards", though this euphemism was later dropped). The aftermath of terrorist attacks in the USA was offered as a justification to pass this controversial legislation, though no compulsion to carry identity cards was planned. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIP or RIPA) is a United Kingdom law covering the interception of communications. ... wanking furiously ... Trial by Jury is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in one act (the only single-act Savoy Opera). ... Double jeopardy is a procedural defense (and, in many countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan and India, a constitutional right) that forbids a defendant from being tried a second time for the same crime. ... Enabling legislation for the British national identity card was passed under the Identity Cards Act 2006 [1]. The multi-billion pound scheme [2] has yet to enter procurement. ... A euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces, or in the case of doublespeak to make it less troublesome for the speaker. ...

These measures earned him the nickname 'Big Blunkett' from parts of the tabloid press, a reference to the Orwellian concept of Big Brother but ironic since he is slight of build. // A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Bob, Rob, Robby, Robbie, Robi, Robin, Bobby, Rab, Rabbie, Bert, Bertie, Butch, Bobbers, Bobert, Beto, Bobadito, and Robban (in Sweden), are all nicknames for Robert). ... A tabloid is a newspaper — especially in the United Kingdom — that uses the tabloid format, which is roughly 23½ by 14¾ inches per spread. ... Orwellian describes a situation, idea, or condition that George Orwell identified as being inimical to the welfare of a free-society. ... Big Brother as portrayed in the BBCs 1954 production of Nineteen Eighty-Four. ...

First resignation

During his time as Home Secretary, Blunkett had a relationship with Kimberly Fortier, the American-born publisher of right-wing magazine The Spectator. The three-year relationship ended acrimoniously in August 2004, with Fortier choosing to return to her husband, Stephen Quinn. Fortier has since reverted to her married name. Kimberly Quinn (born 1961 as Kimberly Solomon, also formerly known as Kimberly Fortier) is an American journalist, commentator, and magazine publisher. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Spectator is a conservative British political magazine, established 1828, published weekly. ... Stephen Quinn (born April 4, 1986 in Clondalkin) is a professional footballer from the Republic of Ireland. ...

Blair regarded it proper for Blunkett to remain Home Secretary while pursuing his pregnant former lover in the courts to ascertain paternity of her unborn child as it appeared of no relevance to his ministerial position. However, at the end of November 2004, it was alleged that Blunkett abused his position to assist his ex-lover's filipina nanny, Leoncia "Luz" Casalme, by speeding up her residence visa application and later using his influence to ensure that she successfully obtained an Austrian tourist visa. An investigation into these allegations was launched, led by Sir Alan Budd. Shortly before Sir Alan was due to report his findings, an email emerged headed "no special favours, .. but a bit quicker". Though there was no evidence Blunkett was responsible for the email or its title, he resigned as Home Secretary on 15 December 2004, saying that questions about his honesty were damaging the government. Sir Alan's final verdict, delivered on 21 December 2004, concluded that "I believe I have been able to establish a chain of events linking Blunkett to the change in the decision on Mrs Casalme's application." A pregnant woman Pregnancy is the process by which a mammalian female carries a live offspring from conception until it develops to the point where the offspring is capable of living outside the womb. ... Paternity is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a father and his child. ... Filipino is a term originating and relating to the Philippines. ... A nanny is defined as a childs nurse. The traditional nanny was a servant in a large household and reported directly to the lady of the house. ... Image of an entry visa valid in Schengen treaty countries. ... A tourist visa is not available for use for over a long period of time. ... Sir Alan Budd was a founding member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee in the summer of 1997. ... E-mail, or email, is short for electronic mail and is a method of composing, sending, and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Budd admitted that the investigation was "not a straightforward matter", because few involved in it could recall the details. His report says:

A fax from Blunkett's office to the IND had not been found during the inquiry but Sir Alan found no evidence of an attempt to conceal or destroy evidence. Following the report's publication, he told reporters: "I have been unable to link Mr Blunkett to the sending of faxes to the IND. There must have been such a link but I have been unable to discover what its nature was." A Samsung fax machine. ...

Blunkett resigned as Home Secretary after being told in advance of Budd's findings. He said: "I want to make it clear that I fully accept the findings of Sir Alan's report, where his findings differ from my recollections this is simply due to failure on my part to recall details."

On the day that Sir Alan delivered his report, a Parliamentary standards committee led by Sir Philip Mawer also upheld a complaint against Blunkett for giving Mrs Quinn a taxpayer-funded railway ticket (reserved for MPs' spouses) to the value of £179. Blunkett had already admitted that he had broken the rules, saying that he had made an honest mistake, and repaid the sum in question. The Committee on Standards and Privileges of the United Kingdom House of Commons was established in 1995 to replace the earlier Committee of Privileges. ... ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ...

Blunkett was not helped by a series of stinging criticisms of his Cabinet colleagues, made by Blunkett to his biographer, which became public days before he resigned. His increasingly public paternity battle (see Private life) was also believed by many to be harming his position. However, many believed that he would be able to salvage his political career. A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ...

Return to the Cabinet

Following the 2005 general election Blunkett was returned to the cabinet as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, where he faced a growing pensions crisis. Characteristically he was already at work on the morning of Saturday 7 May, a matter of hours after his appointment. He was to be seen the previous day (the day after the election) anxiously awaiting a telephone call from the PM during the centenary celebrations at the University of Sheffield, to which he was invited as a speaker. There he was heard to apologise for the woes of student fees he had imposed on the university; he himself only wanted to apply them to Oxbridge, but had been overruled. The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... The pensions crisis is the potential result of insufficient resources being reserved for retirement income as life expectancies rise. ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... The University of Sheffield is a research university, located in Sheffield, United Kingdom. ... Oxbridge is a name used to refer to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world. ...

Further political trouble and second resignation

In late October 2005, David Blunkett began to feel the pressure of the media for a second time. Two weeks before the 2005 general election he took up a directorship in a company called DNA Bioscience and bought £15 000 of shares in the company. The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... DNA Bioscience the DNA testing company, has recently ceased trading. ...

On 31 October 2005 Mr Blunkett was asked to explain why he had not consulted the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments regarding the directorship. Having placed the shares into an independent trust, ^[5] "Mr Blunkett said he had asked his three grown-up sons from his first marriage to authorise trustees to "dispose of" the shares. They agreed to the request." October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is an independent body in the UK, which provides advice to the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, or other Ministers if requested, on applications from the most senior Crown servants who wish to take up outside appointments after they leave Crown service. ...

Mr Blunkett's political opponents claimed that a conflict of interest was created by him having been director of and holding shares in a company proposing to bid for government contracts to provide paternity tests to the Child Support Agency – part of the Department for Work and Pensions, of which he was Secretary of State. The Child Support Agency (or CSA) is a UK Government Executive Agency, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, launched on April 5, 1993. ... The Department for Work and Pensions is a department of the Government of 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. ...

An investigation by Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell – asked for by Prime Minister Tony Blair – found that although Blunkett had not broken the Ministerial Code by becoming a director of or buying shares in the company, he should have consulted the Advisory Committee before doing so. In the British Government, the Cabinet Secretary, or more formally Secretary of the Cabinet, is the senior civil servant in charge of the Cabinet Office, a department that provides administrative support to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and the government as a whole. ... Sir Augustine Thomas ODonnell, KCB (born 1955) is the highest ranking British civil servant, in the British Civil Service. ...

However, it was revealed on 1st November that Lord Mayhew of Twysden, who chairs the Advisory Committee, had sent three letters to Blunkett reminding him to seek the committee's advice on his involvement with DNA Bioscience, which he ignored. On the same day, Sir Alistair Graham, chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said Blunkett had breached ministerial rules. (Redirected from 1st November) November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... Patrick Mayhew, Baron Mayhew of Twysden, PC, is a British barrister, and politician for the Conservative Party. ... Sir John Alistair Graham (born 6 August 1942) is a well known figure in British Public Life. ...

Blunkett declared that he would not be resigning saying to a newspaper, "I have done nothing wrong." A statement by Downing Street said that the Prime Minister did not believe that Blunkett's mistake should prevent him from carrying out his job.

It also became public that Mr Blunkett had taken two other paid jobs, one with the international Jewish charity World ORT the main focus of which is the development of hi-tech industries in Israel.,^[6] and the other with Indepen Consulting, without seeking advice from the Advisory Committee. World ORT is a non-governmental organisation whose mission is the advancement of Jewish people through training and education, with past and present activities in over 100 countries. ...

On 2 November, Lord Nolan, a former Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and architect of the code of conduct, was reported as having said in an interview with the Yorkshire Post, "I think he's more or less admitted that he should have followed the rules. But I think it's the fault of the Government that he has been allowed to see if he can get away with it." Lord Nolan was reported to have continued: "Blair should insist on Ministers all round obeying the rules. I think that if anyone breaks the rules they should be disciplined, otherwise there's no point having the rules." Lord Nolan agreed that this meant that Blunkett should have been dismissed or demoted by the Prime Minister.^[7] November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... This article is about the judge. ... The Yorkshire Post was founded in 1754, as the Leedes Intelligencer, making it one of Britains first daily newspapers. ...

On the same day, a scheduled appearance before a House of Commons Select Committee was cancelled at the last minute and Blunkett was summoned to a meeting at Number 10. Later that morning, a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair confirmed Mr Blunkett had resigned at the meeting, stating that his position had become untenable. In a statement, Mr Blunkett claimed that the "lies" of those such as Max Clifford would one day be "dealt with". This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Maxwell Clifford (born April 6, 1943 in Kingston, Surrey) is a British cockend, known for being ruthless in his pursuit in gaining his client publicity or subverting a damaging story, for representing unpopular clients (such as those accused or convicted of crimes), and acting as an agent to people selling...

John Hutton was appointed as David Blunkett's successor that day. Blunkett's children's trustees decided not to sell the shares in DNA Bioscience after all, in December it was reported that the company faces insolvency, resulting in Blunkett's shares being worth very little.^[8] The Rt Hon. ...

Despite his resignation from the cabinet in November, Blunkett continued to enjoy rent-free accommodation in Belgravia, London, at tax-payers' expense until he found new accommodation in mid-March 2006.^[9] He also rents a cottage on the estate of Chatsworth House.^[10] The controversy gained further press coverage later in 2006, when Tory MP Philip Davies asked when Blunkett was due to vacate the residence.^[11] Ironically this was published only the day before the same newspaper broke the story about him vacating the house, which will now stand empty and be maintained by the government at the tax-payers' expense until another cabinet minister requires an official residence. Belgravia is a district in the City of Westminster in London, to the south-west of Buckingham Palace. ... A view of Chatsworth from the south-west circa 1880. ...

Private life

Blunkett divorced his wife, by whom he had three sons, in 1990. In 2004, with news of his affair with Kimberly Quinn, Blunkett asserted that he was the father of Mrs Quinn's two-year-old son, William and also perhaps of her then-unborn child. Mrs Quinn denied this, claiming that both children were her husband's. In late 2004, Blunkett began a legal challenge to gain access to William. In late December 2004, as was widely reported in the media, DNA tests confirmed that Mrs Quinn's two-year-old son, William, was Blunkett's child. On 5 March 2005 it was confirmed that Blunkett was not the father of Quinn's newborn son, Lorcan.^[12] UK Home Secretary David Blunkett was reported in November 2004 to have started a paternity suit against a former lover. ... Kimberly Quinn (born 1961 as Kimberly Solomon, also formerly known as Kimberly Fortier) is an American journalist, commentator, and magazine publisher. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Blunkett's guide dogs – Ruby, Teddy, Offa, Lucy and most recently Sadie – have become familiar characters at Westminster, inspiring occasional witty comments from Blunkett and his fellow MPs on both sides of the house. In one memorable incident, Lucy vomited in Parliament during a speech by opposition member David Willetts. On occasion when Blunkett is being guided by Tony Blair the wry comment has been made: "who is guiding whom?" However, Blunkett's blindness does not generally arouse much comment. A blind man is led by his guide dog in BrasÃlia, Brazil. ... The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, in London, England is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) meet to conduct their business. ... David Willetts David Linsay Willetts (born March 9, 1956) is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Havant, in the United Kingdom. ...

In 2005 there was more speculation about Mr Blunkett's private life, this time regarding a young woman and for not disclosing free membership to an exclusive London nightclub, Annabel's. The matter with the young women has been cleared up following a full apology from the newspaper which printed the original story^[13] and his membership at the nightclub has been forfeited.^[14] This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ...

The Blunkett tapes

In October 2006, David Blunkett's audio diaries were published in his book The Blunkett tapes: My life in the bear pit. The tapes detail his time as a cabinet minister until the present date, and provide insights into the workings of the Labour cabinet. They were recorded every week, and contain his view of what was happening in Cabinet at the time, alongside contemporary reflections and more recent thoughts on the events. The Blunkett Tapes: My life in the bear pit is a book of the audio diaries of the British MP David Blunkett. ...

David Blunkett in popular culture

As a result of David Blunkett's affair with Kimberly Quinn he has been portrayed three times in dramatic or musical form. Along with the other recent dalliances associated with The Spectator, Blunkett was featured in Who's The Daddy?, a play by Toby Young and Lloyd Evans, the magazine's theatre critics, which ran at The King's Head Theatre in the Summer of 2005. The satirist Alistair Beaton wrote the television film A Very Social Secretary, for Channel 4, which was screened in October 2005. Finally, Blunkett – The Musical toured the UK during the course of Spring 2005. This work featured music by the American composer Mary Jo Paranzino;^[15] there is also a book by The Times journalist Ginny Dougary. In 2005 BBC Radio 4 had a series of comic programmes called A 15 Minute Musical, the first of which was based on David Blunkett's affair with Kimberley Quinn. Toby Young (born Toby Daniel Moorsom Young in 1963) is a homuncular high-flying British journalist, author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the tale of his disastrous five-year attempt to make it in the U.S. as a contributing editor at Conde Nast Publications Vanity Fair... The Kings Head Theatre was the first dinner theatre in the UK, it was founded in 1970 by the pub. ... Alistair Beaton Alistair Beaton (born 1947) is a Scottish left wing political satirist, journalist, radio presenter, novelist and television writer. ... Channel 4 is a television broadcaster in the United Kingdom (see British television). ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1785, and under its current name since 1788. ... Ginny Dougary is an award-winning interviewer and feature writer for The Times. ... BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ...

A character based on Blunkett appeared in the Canadian cartoon series Bromwell High, and a club-night called Electric Blunkett, held at the Sheffield Blind Institute, began in the summer of 2005, although its name was swiftly changed to Electric Blanket.^[16] Linda Smith once described Blunkett as "Satan's bearded folk singer".^[17] He is the topic of a song by Manchester group The Fall called Blindness.^[18] Bromwell High is an animated series about a British high school in South London. ... Linda Smith Linda Smith (29 January 1958 â€“ 27 February 2006) was an English stand-up comic and comedy writer. ... The Fall are an English post-punk group, formed in Manchester in 1976. ...

References

graphy"> March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ...

Bibliography

Stephen Pollard is best known as a British author and journalist, although his principle job is as a policy expert for a Brussels based think tank, the Centre for a New Europe. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kenneth Minogue (1930-) is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics. ... Keith Jackson (born October 18, 1928) is an American sportscaster, known for his several decades of work with the ABC television network. ...

External links

Resignation as Home Secretary

Further political trouble

Pay off for leaving the Cabinet – then coming back...

Paternity battle

Categories: 1947 births | Living people | Current British MPs | Blind people | British Secretaries of State | Secretaries of State for Education (UK) | Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom | Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies | Labour MPs (UK) | Secretaries of State for the Home Department | British political scandals | Politicians with physical disabilities | People from Sheffield | Councillors in Yorkshire and the Humber | Politics of Sheffield | UK MPs 1987-1992 | UK MPs 1992-1997 | UK MPs 1997-2001 | UK MPs 2001-2005 | UK MPs 2005- | English diarists The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... Vera Joan Maynard known as Joan Maynard (1921â€“22 January 2006) was an English trade unionist and Labour politician. ... Sheffield Brightside is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield. ... Anthony James Clarke, Baron Clarke of Hampstead (born 1932) is an English trade unionist and Labour Party politician. ... The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the Labour Party. ... (Eric) Douglas Harvey Hoyle, Baron Hoyle, known as Doug Hoyle (born 17 February 1930) is a British Labour politician and former member of parliament for Nelson and Colne and Warrington North. ... Gillian Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold, PC (born January 22, 1940) is an British Conservative politician; she was the Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk, and a former Secretary of State. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, PC (born 1952) is an English Labour politician and member of the House of Lords. ... John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Home Secretary) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ... The Rt Hon. ... Alan Arthur Johnson MP (born 17 May 1950, London) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ... The Rt Hon. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining // 1508 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year truce and cede several territories to Venice 1513... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Contents

Early life var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};