Paul Goggins

Date of birth

16 June 1953

Political profile

Paul Goggins became parliamentary private secretary to John Denham soon after his first election in 1997 and went on to perform the same role for Home Secretary David Blunkett.

In 2003, he became a junior home office minister, replacing Hilary Benn, who moved to the international development department in the wake of Clare Short's resignation from the cabinet.

Before joining the government, Mr Goggins was one of the most committed defenders of the government's cuts in lone parents' benefits, in the context of wider social security reforms.

Despite his general loyalty, he did contribute to an article in a Labour journal shortly after the 2001 election criticising the government's controlling and centralising tendencies.

Before his election, he worked as national director for Church Action on Poverty and most of his political energy goes into working against poverty and social exclusion.

That campaigning extends beyond poverty in the UK. He is one of the Commons' leading supporters of the relief of third world debt.

A Catholic and a Christian Socialist, Mr Goggins is also an expert on the benefits system.

Contact

gogginsp@parliament.uk

Constituency office 0161 499 7900