Hutton, John (1955- )

UK Labour Party politician, secretary of state for business, enterprise and regulatory reform from 2007. A member of a group of modernizing Labour MPs, he is a strong supporter of Tony Blair's New Labour approach. He served as a health minister from 1999, before entering the cabinet after the 2005 general election as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Minister for the Cabinet Office).

Born in London, he studied law at Oxford University and was a law lecturer at the University of Northumbria from 1981. He was defeated in the 1987 general election when representing Labour in the Penrith and Borders constituency, but in 1992 was elected as MP representing Barrow and Furness.