Labour MP Sheffield Brightside

Date of birth

6 June 1947

Political profile

David Blunkett, was appointed home secretary after the 2001 election, and was seen as one of Tony Blair's most trusted ministers.

Then following a series of disclosures about his private life he quit in December 2004 after a probe linked him to the visa application of his ex-lover's nanny.

As secretary of state for education and employment in Labour's first term, he was responsible for introducing the New Deal, as well as implementing the numeracy and literacy hours in schools.

The latter initiatives are typical of his politics.

He is a Methodist and one of the most socially conservative Labour MPs. He eschews political correctness and is unafraid to take on pressure groups and theorists to implement radical change.

Tough talking, he was seen by many as an authoritarian home secretary particularly when it came to anti-terrorism laws in the wake of 11 September 2001.

He also introduced a raft of measures aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and illegal immigration.

So he surprised many when he reclassified cannabis as a class C drug.

He first came to public prominence as leader of Sheffield Council in the 1980s in its days as "the socialist republic of South Yorkshire" and became a major player in the Labour Party, heading the constituency section of the NEC for many years.

He attempted, ultimately unsuccessfully, to broker an understanding between the Kinnock leadership and Militant.

After his election for the safe Labour seat of Sheffield Brightside in 1987, his rise in the Commons was fast: he joined the frontbench in 1992. He remained there until his resignation in late 2004.

Contact

Constituency office 0114 273 5987