Stephen Twigg

Labour MP Enfield Southgate

Date of birth

25 December 1966

Political profile

One of the stars of Labour's 1997 intake, Stephen Twigg is also one of its most unexpected members.

His defeat of Defence Secretary Michael Portillo at that year's general election came as an astonishment to all concerned.

Mr Twigg has always been highly politicised - a former President of the National Union of Students, he had worked as a parliamentary officer for charities, as an assistant to Labour frontbencher Margaret Hodge and had recently been appointed General Secretary of the Fabian Society.

He is also one of the party's most committed modernisers and one of the most persistent Labour campaigner for electoral reform.

It was not until he had demonstrated his electoral longevity by winning again in 2001 that he won promotion, being appointed deputy Leader of the Commons.

In the 2002 reshuffle, he moved to become an education minister.

He was then promoted to schools minister in the reshuffle prompted by David Blunkett's resignation as home secretary in December 2004.

Contact

Commons office: 020 72196554

[e-mail]