Member for Barking since 1994. Committees: Member, Standing Committee on the Education Bill 1996-97; Member, Standing Committee on the Family Law Bill 1996; Member, Home Office Advisory Committee on Race Relations 1988-92; Member, All-Party Group on Children; Member, Parliamentary Labour Party Local Government Group; Member, Parliamentary Labour Party Backbench Education Committee;. Political career: Minister of State for Children since 2003; Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education 2001-03; Junior Minister, Department for Education and Employment 1998-01; Member, Leadership Campaign Team; Labour Spokesperson, Early Years Policy; PLP's Campaigner, Women's Issues; Home Affairs Key Campaigner; Chair, Circle 33 Home Trust 1993-96; Local Government Commissioner 1993-94; Councillor, London Borough of Islington (LBI) 1973-94; Chair, Association of London Authorities 1984-92; Leader, LBI 1982-92; Deputy Leader, LBI 1981. Special political interests: Education, housing, local government. Profession/Trade: Senior Consultant, Price Waterhouse 1992-94; Teaching and Market Research 1966-73. Title/Honours/Decorations: MBE 1978. Education: London School of Economics, BSc, Economics. Author of: Beyond the Town Hall (1994); Quality, Equality and Democracy (1991). Affiliations: Governor, Council of the University of London 1994-98; Governor, London School of Economics; Non-Executive Director, UCH/Middlesex Hospital Trust 1992-94; Vice-Chair, Association of Metropolitan Authorities 1990-92; Director, CILNTEC 1990-92; Chair, London Research Centre 1985-92. Hobbies: Music, opera, theatre, cinema, cooking.
b. 8 September 1944, Alexandra (Egypt). Married with four children.

2005				2001
LAB HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Labour	13,826	47.5	-13.4	15,302	60.9
Conservative	4,943	16.9	-5.9	5,768	23
BNP	4,916	16.9	10.5	1,606	6.4
Lib Dem	3,411	11.7	1.9	2,450	9.8
UKIP	803	2.8	-	-	-
Green	618	2.1	-	-	-
Independent	530	1.8	-	-	-
Workers	59	0.2	-	-	-
Majority	8,883	30.5	-	9,534	37.9
Turnout	29,106	50.5	5	25,126	45.5