Des Browne
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Secretary of State for Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 28 June 2007 – 3 October 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Gordon Brown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Douglas Alexander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jim Murphy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secretary of State for Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 5 May 2006 – 3 October 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair Gordon Brown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | John Reid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | John Hutton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 6 May 2005 – 5 May 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Paul Boateng | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Stephen Timms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Stevenston, Scotland, United Kingdom | 22 March 1952||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Scottish Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | University of Glasgow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton,
Early life and education
Browne was born in Boglemart, Stevenston, North Ayrshire, lived in Stevenston for the early part of his life, and was educated at the Catholic St Michael's Academy in Kilwinning and later at the University of Glasgow, where he received a degree in law.
Legal career
He started his legal career in 1974 as an apprentice solicitor with the firm James Campbell & Co. On qualifying in 1976 he became an assistant solicitor with Ross, Harper and Murphy, and was promoted to partner in 1980. He became a partner in McCluskey Browne in 1985, and was a council member of the Law Society of Scotland from 1988 to 1992. He was admitted as an advocate in 1993, practising at the Scottish bar until 1997. He worked mainly in child law.
Parliamentary career
Browne contested the
Browne joined the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee on his election, and became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Scotland Donald Dewar in 1998. After Dewar left the Cabinet in 1999, to seek election as the First Minister of Scotland, Browne remained in post as PPS to the new Secretary of State John Reid. In 2000 he became the PPS to the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.
On 27 November 2009, Browne announced his intention not to seek election in the 2010 general election.[1]
Government minister
After the
Browne was appointed
In a free parliamentary vote on 20 May 2008, Browne voted for cutting the upper limit for abortions from 24 to 12 weeks, along with two other Catholic cabinet ministers, Ruth Kelly and Paul Murphy.[4] He returned to the backbenches in October 2008 following a cabinet reshuffle.
Browne
He was created a life peer on 22 July 2010, taking the title Baron Browne of Ladyton, of Ladyton in Ayrshire and Arran.[6]
He is a Fellow Commoner of St Catharine's College, Cambridge.[7]
Activities after leaving government
Browne is vice chairman of the Washington, DC-based Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit, nonpartisan organisation founded in 2001 by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, who serves as co-chair and CEO, and CNN founder and philanthropist Ted Turner. NTI's mission is to strengthen global security by reducing the risk of use and preventing the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Browne is convener of the European Leadership Network for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation.[8] and he is also convenor of the Top Level Group of UK Parliamentarians for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation, established in October 2009.[9][10]
He is a signatory of Global Zero, a non-profit international initiative for the elimination of all nuclear weapons worldwide.[11][12]
Controversy over appointment as envoy to Sri Lanka
In February 2009, Browne was appointed by PM Brown as the government's
References
- ^ "Des Browne to quit House of Commons after next election". BBC News. 27 November 2009. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ a b "Profile: Des Browne". BBC News. 15 April 2007. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ Hall, Sarah. "Brown's man Browne gets poisoned chalice". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
- ^ "MPs back 24-week abortion limit". BBC News. 20 May 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
- ^ "Ex-defence secretary speaks of strain of Iraq losses". BBC News. 25 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
- ^ "No. 59500". The London Gazette. 27 July 2010. p. 14307.
- ^ Lord Des Browne Fellow Commoner
- ^ "Members: Lord Desmond Browne of Ladyton". European Leadership Network for Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
- ^ Borger, Julian (8 September 2009). "Nuclear-free world ultimate aim of new cross-party pressure group". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ Des Browne (November 2010). Current NATO Nuclear Policy (Report). Arms Control Association et al. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
- ^ "Group Offers Plan to Eliminate Nukes by 2030" (PDF). The New York Times. 29 June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2011.
- ^ Corera, Gordon (10 December 2008). "Group seeks nuclear weapons ban". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "Sri Lanka rejects UK's new envoy". BBC News. 13 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
External links
- Des Browne MP website Archived 22 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Des Browne
- Ministry of Defence official biography
- Speech on Iraq November 2006 Archived 9 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- Speech on Afghanistan September 2006 Archived 9 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- Speech on the UK's Nuclear Deterrent January 2007 Archived 14 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Des Browne MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Des Browne MP
- Des Browne's article in the Daily Record, covering President Obama's Inauguration 20 January 2009
- Global Zero
- Des Browne at Global Zero