Purnell, James Mark Dakin (1970– )

UK centre-left politician, secretary of state for work and pensions from 2008. A ‘Blairite’, who had been a special advisor to Prime Minister Tony Blair 1997–2001, in June 2007 the new prime minister, Gordon Brown, appointed him secretary of state for culture, media and sport, making him the youngest member of the cabinet. In January 2008, he became work and pensions secretary after the resignation of Peter Hain.

Born in London, his studied politics, philosophy, and economics at Oxford University and worked as a researcher to Tony Blair in his summer holidays 1989–92. He became a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, a centre-left think tank, and was head of corporate planning at the BBC before returning to work with Tony Blair, as special advisor to the prime minister 1997–2001. He was elected to Parliament in 2001 as a Labour Party member of Parliament (MP), representing the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency, and was made a government whip in 2004. As an undersecretary in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 2005–06, he oversaw legislation which liberalized alcohol licensing laws in England and Wales.