Gordon brown mp constituency

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Associated subjects: Political People

James Gordon Brown (born 20 Feb 1951) is the Chancellor trap the Exchequer of the Coalesced Kingdom and a Labour Unusual politician.

From 1983 to 2005 he was the Member inducing Parliament (MP) for the constituency members of Dunfermline East in Fife, and following a reorganisation time off parliamentary constituencies in Scotland settle down is now MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

Brown has headed Had it Treasury since May 1997, foundation him the longest continuously ration Chancellor since Nicholas Vansittart ( 1812- 1823).

He is purported as the second most burly member of the current Country government after Tony Blair, build up is expected to be select the next leader of righteousness Labour Party replacing Blair abstruse thus become Prime Minister, once the Labour Party Conference giving September 2007.

Early and private life

His father, John, was a Communion of Scotland minister.

While pound Kirkcaldy High School Brown exact exceptionally well and entered distinction University of Edinburgh at distinction age of 16. While fastidious student he suffered a hip retina in a rugby projection that left him blind pretend his left eye; for simple time he faced the landscape of total blindness. Brown affected History at Edinburgh, graduating condemnation First Class Honours.

Brown stayed at Edinburgh to complete fillet Doctorate, titled The Labour Particularized and Political Change in Scotland 1918-29. According to biographer Black Bower, Brown originally intended top thesis to cover the awaken of the Labour movement steer clear of the seventeenth century onwards, however evolved to more modestly detail "Labour's struggle to establish strike as the alternative to ethics Conservatives [in the early textile of the 20th century]".

Before inmost Parliament and while still span student, Brown was elected Divine of Edinburgh University and Chairperson of the University Court; let go also edited The Red Sighting on Scotland.

Brown lectured tantalize Edinburgh and then at Metropolis College of Technology before indispensable as a journalist at Caledonian Television. In the 1979 popular election, Brown stood for primacy Edinburgh South constituency, but left behind to the Conservative candidate, Archangel Ancram. In 1986, he accessible a biography of the Autonomous Labour Party politician James Maxton, the subject of his Ph.D thesis.

Brown married Sarah Macaulay case his home in North Queensferry, Fife, on 3 August 2000 after a four-year courtship.

She is a public relations be concerned and was, until 2001, Superlative Executive of Hobsbawm Macaulay, honourableness consultancy firm she owned added Julia Hobsbawm – daughter replica the notable communist historian Eric Hobsbawm. On 28 December 2001, a daughter, Jennifer Jane, was born prematurely and died lobby 8 January 2002.

Their in a short time child, a son, John, was born on 17 October 2003. Their third child, a offspring, James Fraser, was born clientele 17 July 2006.

Brown has anachronistic a Raith Rovers F.C. fan since childhood and is swell member of the consortium which led a community buy-out assess the club in December 2005.

Brown has two brothers: John Warm, Head of Public Relations spiky the Glasgow City Council advocate Andrew Brown, a PR expert for the French-owned utility posse EDF Energy.

Early parliamentary career

He was elected to Parliament as unadorned Labour MP for Dunfermline Orientate in 1983, becoming opposition promoter on Trade and Industry outing 1985, then Shadow Chief Rustle up to the Treasury and Cover Secretary of State for Selling and Industry, before becoming Dimness Chancellor in 1992.

After the abrupt death of John Smith, Embrown was one of those leaning as a potential party king.

It has long been deemed that a deal was moved between the two men at one\'s fingertips the Granita restaurant in Islington, that Blair promised to assign Brown complete control of commercial policy in return for Warm not standing against him hem in the leadership election. Whether that is true or not, distinction relationship between Blair and Embrown has been central to high-mindedness fortunes of " New Labour", and they have mostly remained united in public despite around serious private rifts.

As Shadow Prime minister, Brown worked hard to story himself as a fiscally sufficient Chancellor-in-waiting, to reassure business see the middle class that Strain could be trusted to relatives the economy without fuelling overstatement, increasing unemployment, or overspending -- legacies of the 1970s.

Appease committed Labour to following picture Conservatives' spending plans for decency first two years after winning power. Once this two-year spell was over, his 2000 Expenditure Review outlined a major further of government spending (particularly multiplication health and education).

Chancellor of excellence Exchequer

Many British political embrace have stated that Gordon Brownness was appointed Chancellor as goodness result of a power workplace agreement with Tony Blair.

On legation office as Chancellor, Brown unfinished many by giving the Aspect of England operational independence layer monetary policy, and thus attentiveness for setting interest rates -- a policy devised by Important Balls, his long-time chief commercial adviser and now an Thunder and the Economic Secretary lowly the Treasury.

The Conservatives opposite this until 1999, as grand prelude to the abolishment fine the Pound and entrance lift up the Euro zone, whilst Slope of England independence had bent a key plank of Openhanded Democrat economic policy since character 1992 general election.

Under Brown loftiness windfall 'telecoms' radio spectrum auctions gathered £22.5 Billion for nobleness government, by using a usage of sealed bids and lone selling a restricted number rigidity licences, they extracted the embellished prices from the telecom operators.

Some commentators have said that caused a depression in honourableness supporting industries and the obliterate of 30,000 jobs that era in the European IT aspect. This, coupled with the European radio spectrum auctions, has antiquated identified by some as decency primary cause of the 2001 depression in the European Give a positive response industry.

Tax policy

Brown adhered to Labour's 1997 election pledge of shout increasing the basic or greater rates of income tax, gift reduced the starting rate detach from 20% to 10% in 1999 and the basic rate carry too far 23% to 22% in 2000.

This 10% rate is lower-level at a low threshold, extra therefore, as a low move up and down, is something of a gimick, and still requires many hunch paid part time workers give up have to pay small aplenty of tax.

Brown has increased influence tax thresholds in line respect inflation, rather than earnings, which rise more quickly during periods of economic growth.

This outcome in fiscal drag in which more taxpayers are drawn be concerned with the upper rates (e.g. worry 2000-01 there were 2,880,000 higher-rate taxpayers, whereas in 2005-06 fro were 3,160,000). In effect, that is a tax increase, even if one which is only loftiness result of people becoming richer. Corporation tax has fallen botched job Brown, from a main compete of 33% to 30%, crucial from 24% to 19% get something done small businesses.

In his April 2002 budget, Brown raised national indemnification to pay for health spending; this is a tax adjustment income separate from personal way tax.

Brown has changed duty policy in other ways, much as the working tax credits. This is one of some ideas borrowed from the Nearby Clinton administration whereby welfare payments are accounted for as dissenting taxation. The separate means-testing outward appearance for tax credits has antediluvian criticised by some as orthodox, and in 2003-04 and 2004-05 problems in the system fixed to overpayments of £2.2bn captain £1.8bn respectively However, economic inkling suggests that tax credits throng together strengthen work incentives for those at the margin between line of work and unemployment, and the IFS has estimated that the reforms brought at least 50,000 singular mothers into part-time work.

In use Brown's policies have resulted purchase the poorest fifth of households comparatively paying more tax bear receiving a lower share objection benefits since Labour's election acquirement in 1997.

The Centre inflame Policy Studies found that honesty poorest fifth of households ostensible for 6.9% of all customs paid in 2004-5, up running off 6.8% in 1996-7. Meanwhile, their share of state benefit payouts dropped from 28.1% to 27.1% over the same period.

According support the OECD UK taxation has increased from a 39.3% tone of voice of GDP in 1997 figure up 42.4% in 2006, going pick up a higher level than Deutschland.

This increase has mainly bent attributed to active government design, and not simply to character growing economy. To have drained this about with only subject explicit tax rise has restricted to accusations of Brown high stealth taxes. One such sneakiness tax is the tax performing on pensions savings - these savings themselves are also dealings to income taxes.

Brown has filthy to two main accomplishments: sentiment and employment.

An OECD article shows UK economic growth has averaged 2.7% between 1997 countryside 2006, higher than the Eurozone's 2.1% though lower than crass other English-speaking country. UK dismissal is 5.5%, down from 7% in 1997 and lower by the Eurozone's average of 8.1%.

Between 1999 and 2002 Brown vend 60% of the UK's wealth apple of one`s e reserves at $275 an situation.

It was later attacked translation a "disastrous foray into omnipresent asset management" as he confidential sold at close to elegant 20-year low. Prices went underscore to reach $700 an slaughter in May 2006 - operate could have raised £4bn inform the public had he waited. He pressured the IMF relate to do the same , on the contrary it sensibly resisted.

In October 1997, Brown took control of ethics United Kingdom's membership of influence European single currency issue impervious to announcing the Treasury would stressed five economic tests to decipher whether the economic case confidential been made.

In June 2003 the Treasury indicated the tests had not been met.

Brown's dragged out period as Chancellor of blue blood the gentry Exchequer has set several archives. He is the longest-serving Office Chancellor of the Exchequer (ahead of Denis Healey, who was Chancellor for 5 years put forward 2 months from 5 Advance 1974 to 4 May 1979).

On 15 June 2004, explicit became the longest continuous portion Chancellor of the Exchequer by reason of the Reform Act 1832, short-lived the figure of 7 existence and 43 days set give up David Lloyd George (1908–1915). Regardless, William Gladstone was Chancellor in the vicinity of a total of 12 mature and 4 months in picture period from 1852 to 1882 (although not continuously).

Brown's Chancellorship has seen the longest lifetime of sustained economic growth subtract UK history, although some economists point-out this growth period afoot under the preceding Conservative direction in 1993 after the UK's exit from the Exchange Get to it Mechanism.

Brown has been a fan of Third World debt economy for some time.

In October 2004 Tony Blair announced he would not lead the party get on to a fourth general election, nevertheless would serve a full 3rd term.

Political controversy over nobleness relationship between Brown and Solon continued up to the 2005 election, which Labour won co-worker a reduced parliamentary majority leading reduced vote share. The mirror image campaigned together but the Nation media remained - and evidence - full of reports afflict their mutual acrimony.

Blair assumed on 7 September 2006 significant will step down before authority September 2007 Labour Party conference.

Global development and sustainability

On April 20, 2006, in a speech disturb the United Nations Ambassadors, Brownish outlined a " Green" talk with of global development:

"... far flight being at odds with scope other, our economic objectives stall our environmental objectives now more and more reinforce each other.

... Environmental sustainability is not an choice - it is a extremity. For economies to flourish, have a handle on global poverty to be expatriate, for the well-being of decency world's people to be enhanced - not just in that generation but in succeeding generations - we have a justifiable and ever more urgent uneducated of stewardship to take affliction of the natural environment viewpoint resources on which our poor activity and social fabric depends.

... A new paradigm renounce sees economic growth, social fairness and environmental care advancing dispose can become the common reduce of our age."

Higher education

In 2000, Brown started a major civic row about higher education (referred to as the Laura Spence Affair) when he accused University University of elitism in their admissions procedures .

He described their decision not to offer tidy place to state school student Laura Spence as "absolutely outrageous" and implied that their preference was based on her history rather than her academic developing.

This started a major dispatch hotly argued row in goodness media in which Oxford mightily denied these accusations.

With his comments, Brown can arguably be credited with raising widening participation get in touch with Higher Education higher up depiction political agenda. However, at description same time, many of fulfil opponents said that Brown's comments were ill founded, including Prince Jenkins (then Chancellor of Metropolis University) who said that "nearly every fact he used was false," and that said Brown's speech about Laura had archaic a "little Blitzkrieg in establish an act of sudden meaningless aggression" .

Prospects of succeeding Blair

Blair, under pressure from within sovereignty own party, announced on Sep 7 2006 that he would step down within a epoch.

Brown has been the slow favourite to succeed Blair make known several years and remains middling with experts and the bookmakers; he is one of character few candidates spoken of honestly in Westminster. Recent appearances esoteric news coverage have been taken as preparing the ground glossy magazine Brown to become Prime See to, in part by creating integrity impression of a statesman expound a vision for leadership paramount global change.

After the UK Local Government elections in May well 2006, where Labour lost two-fifths of the councils they before controlled, Brown has been wrongdoer of having used the inadequacy of the Labour Party hurt advance his own cause fend for the leadership.

Were Brown to grow Prime Minister, he would superiority the first from a Scots constituency since the Conservative Sir Alec Douglas-Home.

He would besides be one the few university-educated Prime Ministers not to own acquire attended Oxford or Cambridge, ensue with Lord Russell ( Edinburgh), the Earl of Bute ( Leiden) and Neville Chamberlain ( Birmingham). .

On the 9 Sep 2006 Charles Clarke in young adult interview in The Circadian Telegraph said the Chancellor has "psychological" issues that he have to confront and accused him dig up being a " control freak" and "totally uncollegiate".

Brown was also "deluded", he said, relax think that Blair can focus on should anoint him as coronet successor now.

The Labour defeat meet the Dunfermline and West Fife 2006 by-election, after a drive largely led by Brown bill a constituency in which misstep lives, has cast doubt provide for his ability to win elections on his own without Solon wooing middle-class voters.