David Blunkett

The Right Honourable David Blunkett (born June 6, 1947) is a British Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside. He was Education Secretary from 1997 to 2001, and Home Secretary from 2001 to 2004. Following the 2005 General Election he was appointed to the position of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

As Education Secretary

After Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election, he became the UK's first blind cabinet minister as Secretary of State for Education and Employment. The role of Education Secretary was a vital one in a government whose Prime Minister had in 1996 described his priorities as "education, education, education", and which had made reductions in school class sizes a key pledge. In the event it was higher education that proved to be the most controversial issue for Blunkett, as he moved towards the imposition of tuition fees at public universities which had traditionally been free.

Related Topics:
Landslide victory - 1997 general election - Secretary of State for Education and Employment - Prime Minister - 1996 - Higher education - Tuition fees - Public universities

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