Alan Johnson Facts for Kids

Shadow Cabinet positions

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 8 October 2010 – 20 January 2011
Leader	Ed Miliband
Preceded by	Alistair Darling
Succeeded by	Ed Balls
Shadow Home Secretary
In office 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010
Leader	Harriet Harman (Acting) Ed Miliband
Preceded by	Chris Grayling
Succeeded by	Ed Balls

Chancellor of the University of Hull

Incumbent

Assumed office
1 July 2023

Vice Chancellor

Dave Petley

Preceded by

Virginia Bottomley

Member of Parliament
for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle

In office
1 May 1997 – 3 May 2017

Preceded by

Stuart Randall (Hull West)

Succeeded by

Emma Hardy

Personal details

Born

Alan Arthur Johnson

17 May 1950 (age 75)
London, England

Political party

Labour

Spouses

Judith Cox
Laura Patient
Carolyn Burgess

Children

Residences

East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Alan Arthur Johnson (born 17 May 1950) is a British author and former politician. He was a member of the Labour Party. For 20 years, from 1997 to 2017, he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for a town called Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle.

Johnson held several very important jobs in the UK government, known as the Cabinet. He worked under two Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Some of his top roles included being the Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Health, and Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

After leaving politics, Johnson became a successful writer. In 2023, he was also named the Chancellor of the University of Hull.

Early Life and Career
A Career in Parliament
Life After Politics
Career as an Author
- Memoirs
- Novels
Personal Life

Early Life and Career

Alan Johnson was born in London on 17 May 1950. He had a difficult childhood. His father left the family, and his mother died when he was only 13. His older sister, Linda, who was just 16, had to take care of him. They moved into a government-subsidised home called a council flat. Johnson later wrote a book about his childhood called This Boy: A Memoir of a Childhood, where he called his sister a hero.

Johnson passed an important exam called the eleven-plus and went to Sloane Grammar school. He left school at 15 and worked at a supermarket called Tesco. At 18, he became a postman. He was also interested in music and played in a couple of pop bands.

While working as a postman, Johnson joined the Union of Communication Workers. A union is a group that helps protect workers' rights. He became very involved and was eventually elected as the leader of the union in 1992. He also joined the Labour Party in 1971.

A Career in Parliament

In 1997, Johnson was chosen to be the Labour candidate for the Hull West and Hessle area just before the general election. He won the election and became a Member of Parliament (MP).

Working in the Government

As an MP, Johnson was quickly given important jobs. He first worked at the Department of Trade and Industry. In 2003, he became the Minister for Higher Education, which was interesting because he had left school at 15.

In 2004, Prime Minister Tony Blair made him the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. This is a top job in the government's Cabinet. Over the next few years, he held several other major roles.

Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (2005–2006)
Secretary of State for Education and Skills (2006–2007)
Secretary of State for Health (2007–2009)
Home Secretary (2009–2010)

Important Roles Explained

Education Secretary

As Education Secretary, Johnson worked on new ideas to help children with reading and maths. He encouraged parents to spend more time helping their children learn. He also worked to improve the pay and conditions for teachers.

Health Secretary

When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, he made Johnson the Health Secretary. This job put him in charge of the National Health Service (NHS). He had to deal with difficult issues, such as disagreements over which medicines the NHS should provide for free.

Home Secretary

In 2009, Johnson became the Home Secretary, one of the most powerful jobs in the government. The Home Secretary is in charge of things like policing, immigration, and national security. During his time in this role, he had a public disagreement with his main scientific advisor, Professor David Nutt. The disagreement was about how the government should classify illegal substances based on scientific evidence. This led to Professor Nutt being dismissed from his role.

Leadership Roles

Johnson in Hull, 2011

Many people thought Johnson would try to become the leader of the Labour Party. In 2007, he ran for Deputy Leader but was narrowly beaten by Harriet Harman.

When Gordon Brown stepped down as leader in 2010, many people again thought Johnson might run. However, he decided not to and supported David Miliband instead.

Shadow Chancellor

After Labour lost the 2010 election, they became the main opposition party. The new leader, Ed Miliband, appointed Johnson as the Shadow Chancellor. This person's job is to challenge the government on its economic plans. Johnson held this role for only a few months before resigning for personal reasons.

Life After Politics

Johnson was a strong supporter of the UK staying in the European Union during the 2016 referendum. He was a critic of the Labour Party leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn.

He decided not to run for re-election in the 2017 general election and retired from politics.

In 2020, he surprised many people by appearing on the TV show The Masked Singer dressed as a pharaoh. In 2023, he was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Hull.

Career as an Author

After leaving politics, Alan Johnson became a very successful writer.

Memoirs

He has written four books about his life, which are called memoirs.

This Boy: A Memoir of a Childhood (2013): This award-winning book is about his difficult but inspiring childhood.
Please, Mister Postman (2014): This book covers his time working as a postman and a union leader.
The Long and Winding Road (2016): This book is about his career as a politician.
In My Life: A Music Memoir (2018): This book is about his love for music.

The titles of his memoirs are all names of songs by The Beatles.

Novels

Johnson has also written mystery novels about a detective named Louise Mangan.

The Late Train to Gipsy Hill (2021)
One Of Our Ministers Is Missing (2022)
Death on the Thames (2024)

Personal Life

Johnson has been married three times and has four children. His hobbies include music, tennis, reading, and football. He is a supporter of the Queens Park Rangers F.C. football team.

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Alan Johnson facts for kids

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