Des Browne

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The Right Honourable Des Browne MP

Secretary of State for Scotland
Incumbent
Assumed office June 28, 2007
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Douglas Alexander
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Secretary of State for Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office May 5, 2006
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Reid
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office May 6, 2005 – May 5, 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Paul Boateng
Succeeded by	Stephen Timms
Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Incumbent
Assumed office May 1, 1997
Preceded by	William McKelvey
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Majority	8,703 (19.6%)

Born	22 March 1952 (1952-03-22) (age 55) Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Maura Taylor
Alma mater	University of Glasgow
Religion	Roman Catholic [1]

Desmond Henry Browne (born 22 March 1952), commonly known as Des Browne, is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun and the Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for Scotland in the Cabinet.

1 Early life and education
2 Legal career
3 Parliamentary career
4 Government Minister
5 Personal life
6 References
7 External links
8 Offices held

Browne was born in Kilwinning, 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.

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, promoted to solicitor in 1980. He became a partner in McCluskey Browne in 1985 and a council member of the Law Society of Scotland 1988-1992. He worked mainly in child law.

Browne contested the parliamentary seat of Argyll and Bute at the 1992 General Election, and finished in a low fourth place behind the sitting Liberal Democrat MP Ray Michie. He was elected to the Faculty of Advocates in 1993. Browne was selected to contest the safe Labour seat of Kilmarnock and Loudoun following the retirement of the sitting MP William McKelvey. Browne won the seat comfortably at the 1997 General Election with a majority of 7,256. He made his maiden speech on June 20, 1997.

Browne joined the Northern Ireland 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.

After the 2001 General Election Browne entered Tony Blair's government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office. He was promoted to Minister of State at the Department of Work and Pensions in 2003, before moving to the Home Office in 2004 as the minister with responsibility for immigration. He joined the Cabinet following the 2005 General Election as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and became a Member of the Privy Council. He was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in the Cabinet reshuffle on 5 May 2006. Des Browne has earned himself the nickname 'Swiss Toni' ^[1] amongst squaddies after the Fast Show's Swiss Toni. He was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland in June 2007. He holds this post jointly with the post of Secretary of State for Defence. As Secretary of State for Scotland he represents the interests of Scotland in Cabinet, particularly in those matters reserved to the Government by the Scotland Act.

Under Tony Blair's premiership, Des Browne was considered a Brownite.^[2]

Browne has been married to Maura Taylor since 1983; they have two sons.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by William McKelvey	Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun 1997 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Paul Boateng	Chief Secretary to the Treasury 2005–2006	Succeeded by Stephen Timms
Preceded by John Reid	Secretary of State for Defence 2006 – present	Incumbent
Preceded by Douglas Alexander	Secretary of State for Scotland 2007 – present	Incumbent
Order of precedence in Scotland
Preceded by Alex Fergusson (Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament)	Order of Precedence (gentlemen) (Scotland)	Succeeded by Earl of Erroll (Lord High Constable of Scotland)

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