Filter this site

Close

Available tags / Selected:

arts

business and industry

children

citizenship

climate change

communities

constitution

crime

culture

democracy

development and aid

devolution and localism

economy

education

employment

energy

environment

equality

Europe

fairness

faith

families

finance

globalisation

health

higher education

housing

human rights

identity

integration

jobs

justice

leadership

local government

media

migration

older people

personal finances

police

political events

political ideas

poverty

progressive politics

public services

reform

regional issues

resources

schools

science and technology

security

social care

sport

sustainability

taxation

trade

training and skills

transport

UK politics

US politics

welfare

world politics

young people

My Filters

Log in to set or change your
saved filters

Receive daily email alerts

Personalised RSS

>

Login

Forgotten Member Details

Register

First name:
Surname:
Username:
Email:
Confirm email:
Password:
Confirm password:

Sign up to our weekly e-newsletter

Your personal information will be held on a database by IPPR. From time to time, we would like to send you information about events and other offers.

Please tick here if you would prefer not to receive this information.
Please tick here if you would like to receive information from our partners and supporting organisations.

You are here

Our people

James Purnell

Chair of Trustees

James Purnell is a former Labour cabinet minister.

He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Balliol College, Oxford and was a researcher to Tony Blair during his time as Shadow Employment Secretary. After graduating, James went to Hydra Associates and to IPPR as a Research Fellow on its media and communications project.

James was head of corporate planning at the BBC from 1995 to 19997 and was elected as the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in 2001. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and as Minister of State for Pensions Reform at the Department of Work and Pensions. In June 2007, he was promoted to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. James was appointed Work and Pensions Secretary in January 2008.

James stood down as an MP at the 2010 election and took up the chairmanship of IPPR’s Trustees in September. He is also on the board of the National Theatre.