The Right Honourable  Patricia Hewitt MP
Secretary of State for Health
In office 6 May 2005 – 27 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Reid
Succeeded by	Alan Johnson
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
In office 8 June 2001 – 6 May 2005
Preceded by	Stephen Byers
Succeeded by	Alan Johnson
Economic Secretary to the Treasury
In office 1998 – 1999
Preceded by	Helen Liddell
Succeeded by	Melanie Johnson
Member of Parliament for Leicester West
Incumbent
Assumed office  1 May 1997
Preceded by	Greville Janner
Majority	9,070 (27.3%)
Born	2 December 1948 (1948-12-02) (age 59) Canberra, Australia
Nationality	Australian / British
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	Australian National University Nuffield College, Oxford Newnham College, Cambridge
Website	Official website

Patricia Hope Hewitt (born 2 December 1948) is a British politician. She is the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester West and the former Secretary of State for Health. 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. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Minister of Health redirects here. ... 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 178th day of the year (179th 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... John Reid PC (born 8 May 1947) is a British politician who is Home Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish constituency of Airdrie and Shotts in the United Kingdom. ... Alan Arthur Johnson MP (born 17 May 1950, London) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 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. ... The Right Honourable Stephen John Byers (born April 13, 1953) is a British Labour Party politician and former cabinet minister. ... Alan Arthur Johnson MP (born 17 May 1950, London) is a British Labour Party politician. ... This article is about various offices in the government of the United Kingdom. ... Helen Liddell (born December 6, 1950, in Coatbridge, Scotland) is a British politician, was M.P. for Monklands East, then for Airdrie and Shotts from 1994 to 2005, and is British High Commissioner to Australia. ... Melanie Jane Johnson (born 5 February 1955) is a Labour politician in the United Kingdom. ... Leicester West 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). ... Greville Ewan Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone (born July 11, 1928) is a British politician in the Labour Party. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Alma mater is Latin for nourishing mother. It was used in ancient Rome as a title for the mother goddess, and in Medieval Christianity for the Virgin Mary. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ... College name Nuffield College Named after Lord Nuffield Established 1937 Sister College None Warden Stephen Nickell Undergraduates None Graduates 74 Homepage Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. ... Full name Newnham College Motto - Named after Its location in the village of Newnham Previous names Newnham Hall Established 1871 Sister College(s) Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Principal Dame Patricia Hodgson Location Sidgwick Avenue Undergraduates 396 Postgraduates 120 Homepage N/A A view of the Clough and Kennedy buildings of... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Leicester West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Minister of Health redirects here. ...

Background

Born in Canberra, Australia, she is the daughter of Sir Lenox Hewitt, a leading civil servant in the Australian Prime Minister's Office and later chairman of Qantas. She was educated at the Canberra Girls' Grammar School, and the Australian National University. She went on to study at both Newnham College, Cambridge and Nuffield College, Oxford where she was awarded two master's degrees. She speaks French and is a keen gardener. For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... The Roman civil service in action. ... The Prime Minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. ... Qantas Airways Limited (IPA: ) is the national airline of Australia. ... Canberra Girls Grammar School (C.G.G.S) is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls in the suburb of Deakin,Canberra, the capital of Australia. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ... Full name Newnham College Motto - Named after Its location in the village of Newnham Previous names Newnham Hall Established 1871 Sister College(s) Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Principal Dame Patricia Hodgson Location Sidgwick Avenue Undergraduates 396 Postgraduates 120 Homepage N/A A view of the Clough and Kennedy buildings of... College name Nuffield College Named after Lord Nuffield Established 1937 Sister College None Warden Stephen Nickell Undergraduates None Graduates 74 Homepage Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A gardener Gardening is the practice of growing flowering plants, vegetables, and fruits. ...

Initially a Conservative - her first husband was the son of a Conservative MP^{[citation needed]} - she moved to the left, becoming a committed equality activist and feminist. In 1981, she married William (Bill) Jack Birtles, a lawyer, in Camden; they have a son (born February 1988) and a daughter (born September 1986)^[1]. In 1971, she became Age Concern's Press and Public Relations Officer, before joining the UK's National Council for Civil Liberties (now Liberty) initially as a women's rights officer in 1973, and for nine years from 1974 as the General Secretary. She endured long-term surveillance by MI5 because of this, branded a "Communist sympathiser" by MI5 because of her relationship with Birtles in the 1970's.^[2]. In 1990 the Council of Europe ruled that this surveillance had breached the European Convention of Human Rights^[3]. She was a member of the advisory panel of the New Statesman magazine for ten years from 1980, and is a former school governor at the Kentish Town Primary School. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal or level) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals from birth. ... Feminists redirects here. ... For the fish called lawyer, see Burbot. ... Age Concern is the name of a number of charitable organizations specifically concerned with the needs and concerns of old people. ... // Dictionary. ... Liberty is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... MI-5 redirects here. ... MI-5 redirects here. ... Anthem Ode to Joy (orchestral)  ten founding members joined subsequently observer at the Parliamentary Assembly observer at the Committee of Ministers  official candidate Seat Strasbourg, France Membership 47 European states 5 observers (Council) 3 observers (Assembly) Leaders  -  Secretary General Terry Davis  -  President of the Parliamentary Assembly Rene van der Linden... The European Convention on Human Rights (1950) was adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe† to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. ... The New Statesman is a left-of-centre political weekly published in London. ... In the United Kingdom, School Governors are the largest volunteer force in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards through their three key roles of setting strategic direction, ensuring accountability and monitoring and evaluating school performance (http://www. ... Kentish Town is an area of north London in the London Borough of Camden. ... A primary school in ÄŒeský Těšín, Poland Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education. ...

Pre-Parliamentary career

Hewitt joined the Labour Party in the 1970s, and was initially a follower of Tony Benn; she publicly condemned those left-wing MPs who abstained in the deputy leadership election of 1981, giving Denis Healey a narrow victory. She was selected as the Labour candidate in Leicester East constituency at the 1983 General Election following the defection of the sitting Labour MP Tom Bradley to the Social Democratic Party. Bradley stood for the SDP at the election, but it was the Conservative candidate Peter Bruinvels who beat Hewitt into second place by just 933 votes. The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Anthony Tony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born 3 April 1925), formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British socialist politician. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey, CH, MBE, PC (born 30 August 1917), is a British Labour politician. ... Leicester East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... Thomas George Bradley (13 April 1926 – 9 September 2002) was a British politician. ... The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a political party of the United Kingdom that existed nationwide between 1981 and 1988. ... Peter Bruinvels is a British Conservative Party politician, born March 30, 1950. ...

Following her defeat in Leicester, she became press secretary to the Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock. (She had sent a letter to Kinnock lobbying for the role, she sent an identical letter to Kinnock's opponent in the Labour leadership election, Roy Hattersley ^[4]). In this role she was a key player in the first stages of the modernisation of the Labour Party, and along with Lord Hollick, helped set up the Institute for Public Policy Research and was its deputy director 1989-1994. She became head of research with Andersen Consulting 1994-1997. This article discusses Leicester in England. ... A press secretary is a senior advisor (usually to a politician) who provides advice on how to deal with the media and, using news management techniques, helps them to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage. ... The Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Her Majestys Loyal Opposition (the body in Parliament recognized as the Official Opposition). ... Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, PC (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician. ... Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley, PC (born December 28, 1932) is a British Labour Party politician, published author and journalist from Sheffield, England. ... The Institute for Public Policy Research is a think tank in the United Kingdom, with close links to the ruling Labour Party. ... Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. ...

Hewitt was elected to the House of Commons as the first female MP for Leicester West at the 1997 General Election following the retirement of the veteran Labour MP Greville Janner. She was elected with a majority of 12,864 and has remained the MP there since. She made her maiden speech on July 3, 1997^[5]. Patricia Hewitt's seat of Leicester West is considered a safe Labour Seat with a majority of 9,070 votes in the 2005 General Election. Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... Leicester West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... Greville Ewan Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone (July 11, 1928-) is a British politician in the Labour Party. ... A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected representative in such bodies as the House of Commons or the United States House of Representatives. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Leicester West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Parliamentary career

In Parliament she served for a year as a member of the social security select committee from 1997 before becoming a member of the government of Tony Blair in his first reshuffle in 1998 as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. She was promoted in 1999 to become a Minister of State for Small Business and E-Commerce at the Department for Trade and Industry. 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 Department of Social Security (DSS) was until 2001 a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. ... A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster System of parliamentary democracy. ... 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... In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a Head of Government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in his or her cabinet. ... In the United Kingdom, there are at least five Secretaries to the Treasury, officials officially acting as secretaries to the Treasury board. ... Minister of State is a title borne by officials in certain countries governed under the parliamentary system. ... The Department of Trade and Industry is a United Kingdom government department. ...

She joined the Blair Cabinet for the first time following the 2001 General Election as the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women and Equality. She spent four years in this post and was seen as a fairly effective Trade and Industry Secretary; she was then moved sideways to Health Secretary in May 2005. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... The Minister of Women and Equality is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom. ...

Hewitt was known as a reliable Blairite within the cabinet. However, she notably once broke ranks whilst live on the BBC's Question Time, expressing her concern about government plans to introduce ID cards^[6]. She ruled herself out of the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party, declaring her support for Harriet Harman, who was the successful candidate. The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Question Time is a topical debate television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. It is currently shown on BBC One at 22:35 on Thursdays, and typically features politicians from the three major political parties and other public figures who answer questions put to them by the... Identity cards in Britain Main article: British national identity card. ... Harriet Ruth Harman QC MP (born 30 July 1950) is a British solicitor and Labour politician. ...

Secretary of State for Health

She became a member of the Privy Council in 2001 and was appointed Secretary of State for Health following the 2005 General Election. She was tipped for Work and Pensions before this. She had a turbulent two years in office, with several issues arising, such as controversy over the Medical Training Application Service computer system. However, she also achieved several things during her time in office, including persuading MPs to vote for a complete smoking ban in public places in England. On 27 June 2007 it was announced that Hewitt would not be Health Secretary in Gordon Brown's new cabinet, an announcement which had been widely expected.^[7] Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Minister of Health redirects here. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... The Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) is the new system for selection and allocation of doctors training-grade posts in the UK. [1] It was set up under the auspices of Modernising Medical Careers. ... No Smoking sign. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th 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). ...

As Health Secretary, Hewitt lobbied hard for a complete ban on smoking in public places, which has now been passed and came into force on 1 July 2007. Her predecessor, John Reid had been in favour of limiting the Government's proposed smoking ban as much as possible, and in Labour's 2005 election manifesto had introduced only a limited pledge, proposing to only ban smoking in places where food was served. Even though he had been moved to Secretary of State for Defence, Reid was the main opponent of her proposals, and a leading figure in the decision of the Cabinet to grant an exemption for private clubs and pubs that did not serve food ^[8]. However, the exemption in the Cabinet proposals did not find favour with MPs and the Government gave them a free vote on the issue. Patricia Hewitt voted with the rebels to defeat the Cabinet's partial ban, which was replaced by the outright ban which she had always wanted ^[9]. is the 182nd day of the year (183rd 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. ... John Reid PC (born 8 May 1947) is a British politician who is Home Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish constituency of Airdrie and Shotts in the United Kingdom. ... No Smoking sign. ... Look up manifesto in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. ...

In April 2006, Patricia Hewitt made a speech in which she said the NHS had had "its best year ever", citing a decrease in waiting times for hospital treatment. However, this claim came at a time when thousands of jobs were being cut across the country as a number of NHS trusts attempted to cope with budget deficits. This comment did not go down well therefore, and at the Royal College of Nursing 2006 Congress in Bournemouth, Hewitt was heckled and booed by health workers. Delegates at the conference called for job cuts and bed closures, part of planned NHS reforms aimed at improving the effectiveness of the service, to be halted, predicting that the number of posts lost could reach 13,000, and said a work to rule was possible^[10]. BMA chairman Mr. James Johnson claimed 2006 was actually one of the worst years on record and that "2006 has been full of bleak moments for the NHS - job losses, training budgets slashed, trusts delaying operations in order to save money and hospital closures announced at the same time as new PFI developments. Added to this the government’s fixation with introducing the private sector into primary care which risks destabilising the well-respected UK system of general practice. "^[11] The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a membership organisation with over 395,000 members in the United Kingdom. ...

Sex Discrimination

In September 2005, a Judicial Review found Hewitt "guilty of unlawful sex discrimination" when she employed a female applicant for a DTI position ahead of a significantly stronger male candidate. The judge ruled that Malcolm Hanney had lost out to a candidate ranked third by the interview panel and that the failure to appoint him was "in breach of the code of practice for ministerial appointments to public bodies". Hewitt had quoted the Code of Practice on Public Appointments, which said: "Ministers will wish to balance boards in terms of diversity as well as skills and experience.", though the panel had clearly stated that Mr Hanney was "much the strongest candidate". The DTI apologised and Hanney was awarded £17,967.17 costs. ^[12] The appointment was not overturned however. Judicial review is the power of a court to review the actions of public sector bodies in terms of their legality or constitutionality. ...

The case was particularly notable because Hewitt was Minister for Women and Equality at the time and had therefore breached the sex discrimination laws which she was herself responsible for. Additionally, she herself had often complained about the problem of career sexism ^[13], yet had now been found guilty of such discrimination herself.

Further evidence of sexism by Hewitt came in a 1995 publication titled Transforming Men, where she questioned the very notion of "whether we can trust men with children". She came to the conclusion that it may well be necessary to introduce the practice of "not leaving men on their own with groups of children" in environements such a schools in order to prevent abuse.^[14] Critics such as Geoff Dench condemned Hewitt's statements for discouraging male carers entering the profession by insinuating that they were on permanent probation.

Confrontation, controversy and eventual downfall

In January 2007, Patricia Hewitt criticised the pay of general practitioners (GPs) which had increased to an average of £106,000 per annum as a result of the contract the government implemented in 2004. Her department claimed that GPs had unfairly taken money out of their practices, when the new contract was actually intended to increase investment in practices^[15], although statements from Lord Warner in 2004 appear to contradict this claim. He said that "The better services GPs provide, the more pay they will receive, as rewards will be directly linked with patients' experiences." ^[16].

On 17 March 2007 over 12,000 doctors went to London to take part in a march objecting to the 'Medical Training Application Service' (MTAS), a job application system for junior doctors, currently under investigation by the Department of Health, and 'Modernising Medical Careers' ^[17]. Joining the march, the Conservative Leader of the Opposition David Cameron claimed that there were people in parliament who had described Hewitt as the "worst Health Secretary in the history of the NHS" ^[18] is the 76th day of the year (77th 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. ... The Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) is the new system for selection and allocation of doctors training-grade posts in the UK. [1] It was set up under the auspices of Modernising Medical Careers. ... The Department of Health headquarters in Whitehall The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government. ... Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) is a new programme for postgraduate medical training being introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ...

On 23 May 2007 Hewitt comfortably survived a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons led by the Conservatives, winning by 63 votes. A large number of her cabinet colleagues joined her on the front bench to express solidarity. Despite this, pressure continued to mount on her to resign as Health Secretary.^[19] is the 143rd day of the year (144th 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. ... A Motion of No Confidence, also called Motion of Non Confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ...

On 3 April 2007 Patricia Hewitt apologised on the Today programme of BBC Radio 4 saying that the application scheme had caused terrible anxiety for junior doctors. The change offered by the government to the scheme was not accepted by the BMA^[20] however, and she was accused of failing to express genuine regret by Andrew Lansley, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Health^[21]. Hewitt also made another apology on 1 May 2007 in the House of Commons ^[22] after the suspension of the MTAS website due to security breaches which she called "utterly deplorable". ^[23]. old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Andrew Lansley Andrew David Lansley CBE MP (born 11 December 1956) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Shadow Minister is a member of the opposition party, not in power, who provides a counterpoint to the Minister of the government. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin...

Front line health workers also lobbied against Hewitt, sending her petitions opposing cuts to the NHS and privatisation plans which the Department of Health wished to follow up^[24] A survey from October 2006 showed only 37% of workers from the Department of Health were confident in the leadership provided by Hewitt, compared to 57% across Whitehall.^[25] Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ...

Despite constant criticism, Hewitt managed to balance the books of the NHS, which had previously been in huge debt. After having vowed to resign should the NHS complete another year with debts^[26], Hewitt ensured that the Health Service ended 2006/2007 with a £510 million surplus^[27]. However to do this she was forced to cut 17,000 jobs, cut public health spending, although that was previously at a high level, and reduce study budgets for NHS staff. ^[28] As of June 2007, one in five NHS hospital trusts are still in debt. ^[29]

On 27 June 2007, with the appointment of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister, she announced her retirement from frontline politics, citing 'personal reasons'. The more likely reason is that she was a liability in Gordon Brown's government & had to go. On resigning from the cabinet, Ms Hewitt was asked by the Prime Minister to head an EU manifesto group, developing European policy for the next general election manifesto. For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...

Voting Record

How Patricia Hewitt voted on key issues since 2001 (from They Work For You):

• Has never voted on a transparent Parliament.
• Voted for introducing a smoking ban.
• Voted for introducing ID cards.
• Voted for introducing foundation hospitals.
• Voted for introducing student top-up fees.
• Voted for Labour's anti-terrorism laws.
• Voted for the Iraq war.
• Voted against investigating the Iraq war.
• Voted for replacing Trident.
• Voted for the hunting ban.
• Voted for equal gay rights.

After Cabinet - Consultancies and Directorships

In January 2008, it was announced that Hewitt had been appointed "special consultant" to the world's largest chemists, Alliance Boots. Hewitt will also become the "special adviser" to private equity company Cinven, which paid £1.4billion for Bupa's UK hospitals.^[30] Alliance Boots LTD is a British based pharmaceuticals company, operating as a high street retailer, pharmacist and pharmaceuticals wholesaler. ... Cinven is a European private equity firm founded in 1977 with offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Milan. ...

In March 2008, it was announced that Hewitt will join the BT Group board as a non-executive director. ^[31]

Publications

• Your Rights by Patricia Hewitt, 1973, Age Concern Books, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-904502-08-2
• Danger Women at Work: Conference Report Edited by Patricia Hewitt, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-30-8
• Equality for Women: Comments on Labour's Proposals for an Anti-Discrimination Law, Edited by Patricia Hewitt, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-33-2
• Step-by-Step Guide to Rights for Women by Patricia Hewitt, 1975, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-49-9
• Your Rights by Patriica Hewitt, 1976, Age Concern Books, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-904502-62-7
• 'Your Rights: For Pensioners by Patricia Hewitt, 1976, Age Concern Books, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-904502-66-X
• Civil Liberties by Patricia Hewitt, 1977
• The Privacy Report by Patricia Hewitt, 1977
• Privacy: The Information Gatherers" by Patricia Hewitt, 1978, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-68-5
• Your Rights at Work by Patricia Hewitt, 1978, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-71-5
• Computers, Records and the Right to Privacy by Patricia Hewitt, 1979, Input Two-Nine, ISBN 0-905897-27-7
• Income Tax and Sex Discrimination: Practical Guide by Patricia Hewitt, 1979, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-901108-84-7
• Your Rights at Work by Patricia Hewitt, 1980, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-88-X
• Prevention of Terrorism Act: The Case for Repeal by Catherine Scorer and Patricia Hewitt, 1981, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-94-4
• The Abuse of Power: Civil Liberties in the United Kingdom by Patricia Hewitt, 1981, Blackwell Publishers, ISBN 0-85520-380-3
• A Fair Cop: Reforming the Police Complaints Procedure by Patricia Hewitt, 1982, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-946088-01-2
• Race Relations: A Practical Guide to the Law on Race Discrimination by Paul Gordon, John Wright, Patricia Hewitt, 1982, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-946088-02-0
• Your Rights: For Pensioners by Patricia Hewitt, 1982, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-014-8
• Your Rights at Work by Patricia Hewitt, 1983, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-946088-06-3
• Your Rights: For Pensioners by Patricia Hewitt, 1984, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-029-6
• The New Prevention of Terrorism Act: The Case for Repeal by Catherine Scorer, Sarah Spencer, Patricia Hewitt, 1985, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-946088-13-6
• Your Rights: For Pensioners by Patricia Hewitt, 1986, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-047-4
• A Cleaner, Faster London: Road Pricing, Transport Policy and the Environment by Patricia Hewitt, 1989, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-00-0
• Women's Votes: The Key to Winning Edited by Patricia Hewitt and Deborah Mattinson, 1989, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-1353-7
• Your Rights: A Guide to Money Benefits for Retired People by Patricia Hewitt, 1989, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-080-6
• The Family Way: A New Approach to Policy-Making by Anna Coote, Harriet Harman, Patricia Hewitt, 1990, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-15-9
• Your Second Baby by Patricia Hewitt and Wendy Rose-Neil, 1990, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-04-440608-8
• Next Left: An Agenda for the 1990s by Tessa Blackstone, James Cornford, David Miliband and Patricia Hewitt, 1992, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-45-0
• About Time: Revolution in Work and Family Life by Patricia Hewitt, 1993, Rivers Oram Press, ISBN 1-85489-040-9
• Social Justice, Children and Families by Patricia Hewitt and Penelope Leach, 1993, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-76-0
• A British Bill of Rights by Anthony Lester, Patricia Hewitt et al, 1996, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-86030-044-8
• The Politics of Attachment: Towards a Secure Society" by Sebastian Kraemer, preface by Patricia Hewitt, 1996, Free Association Books Ltd, ISBN 1-85343-344-6
• Defence for the 21st Century: Towards a Post Cold-War Force Structure by Malcolm Chalmer, foreword by Patricia Hewitt, 1997, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-3040-7
• Information Age Government: Delivering the Blair Revolution by Liam Byrne, foreword by Patricia Hewitt, 1997, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0582-8
• Pebbles in the Sand by Patricia Hewitt, 1998, Dorrance Publishing Co, ISBN 0-8059-4272-6
• Winning for Women" by Harriet Harman and Deborah Mattinson, foreword by Patricia Hewitt, 2000, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0596-8
• Unfinished Business: The New Agenda for the Workplace by Patricia Hewitt, 2004, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-86030-259-9
• The Future of the NHS (contributed a chapter) edited by Dr Michelle Tempest, xpl Publishing, ISBN 1-85811-369-5

Harriet Ruth Harman QC MP (born 30 July 1950) is a British solicitor and Labour politician. ... The Right Honourable Tessa Ann Vosper Blackstone, Baroness Blackstone, PC, is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British politician who is the current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [1] and Member of Parliament for the constituency of South Shields, Tyne and Wear. ... Liam Dominic Byrne (born 2 October 1970) is a British Labour Party politician. ... Harriet Ruth Harman QC MP (born 30 July 1950) is a British solicitor and Labour politician. ... The Future of the NHS is a book published by xpl Publishing in 2006 (ISBN 1858113695). ... Dr Michelle Tempest (born January 23, 1976) is a British psychiatrist and the editor of a book entitled The Future of the NHS (2006) (ISBN 1858113695 ). External links The Future of the NHS Dr Michelle Tempest Categories: | | | | | ...

References

1. ^ Hewitt Profile
2. ^ Hewitt branded "Communist sympathiser"
3. ^ Surveillance of Hewitt breached Human Rights
4. ^ Another foot up the greasy pole, Roy Hattersley, The Guardian
5. ^ Hewitt's maiden speech Hansard | July 3, 1997
6. ^ Hewitt reveals split over ID cards Gareth Morgan, Computing | September 26, 2003
7. ^ Hewitt leaves cabinet health job BBC News Online
8. ^ Cabinet agrees England smoking ban BBC News | October 25, 2005
9. ^ Campaigners welcome smoking ban BBC News | February 15, 2006
10. ^ NHS Cash Crisis The Guardian | April 24, 2006
11. ^ 2006: the best of years, the worst of years? 2006: the best of years, the worst of years?, BMA December 2006
12. ^ Female champion Hewitt discriminated against man The Independent | 12 October 2005
13. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3953275.stm
14. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=zYvW0T_QYcwC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=%22we+hit+the+immediate+difficulty+of+whether+we+can+trust+men+with+children%22&source=web&ots=YcSiUPXfPl&sig=-gJR3R9QWhbMi1OzUPh9NZzbtMc
15. ^ GP Pay could be capped The Guardian January 19, 2007
16. ^ New GP Contract Combines Better Patient Care And Good Value For Money Medical News Today
17. ^ ITV news Junior doctors in jobs protests
18. ^ David Cameron speech at doctors march 17 March 2007 David Cameron speech at doctors March 17 March 2007 (utube)
19. ^ Hewitt survives no confidence vote
20. ^ BBC Article on Ms Hewitt apology
21. ^ Channel 4 News report - MTAS apology
22. ^ Hewitt apologises in House of Commons
23. ^ Security breaches in MTAS website
24. ^ Health workers meet Hewitt.
25. ^ Survey shows lack of confidence in Hewitt
26. ^ Hewitt will resign if NHS continues in debt
27. ^ Patricia Hewitt ProfileGuardian Online
28. ^ BBC News, 6 June, 2007
29. ^ BBC News, 6 June, 2007
30. ^ Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt takes lucrative job with Boots. The Daily Mail (18th January 2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
31. ^ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article3545475.ece

For other uses, see Guardian. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Patricia Hewitt official site
• 10 Downing Street - Patricia Hewitt official biography
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Patricia Hewitt MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Patricia Hewitt MP

News items

• Hewitt guilty of sex bias

Video clips

• Television footage of Hewitt being attacked by a junior doctor over MTAS
• Phil the Heckler
• Interviewed by Jon Snow
• Forgetting Jack McConnell's name
• Unsympathetic portrayal
• Official broadcast about the NHS's achievements