Member for Leicester West since 1997. Committees: Member, All-Party Group on Parenthood. Political career: Secretary of State for Trade and Industry since 2001; Minister for Small Businesses and e-Commerce, DTI 1999-2001; Economic Secretary to HM Treasury 1998-99. Special political interests: Families/children, welfare state, employment, IT, government. Profession/Trade: Policy analyst. Education: Girls' Grammar School, Canberra; Newnham College, Cambridge, MA (Cantab), MA (Oxon). Languages spoken: French. Author of: About Time: The Revolution in Work and Family Life. Hobbies: Gardening, music, theatre, cooking. Affiliations: MSF; Child Poverty Action Group; Liberty.
b.2 December 1948. Married with two children.

2005				2001
LAB HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Labour	17,184	51.7	-2.5	18,014	54.2
Conservative	8,114	24.4	-0.7	8,375	25.2
Lib Dem	5,803	17.5	2.1	5,085	15.3
Green	1,571	4.7	1.5	1,074	3.2
Soc Alt	552	1.7	-	-	-
Soc Lab	-	-	-	350	1.1
Soc Alliance	-	-	-	321	1
Majority	9,070	27.3		9,639	29
Turnout	33,224	53.3	2.4	33,219	50.9