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 politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle from 1997 to 2017.

Johnson held many important roles in the government. He was the Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2006 to 2007. He also served as Secretary of State for Health from 2007 to 2009. Later, he was the Home Secretary from 2009 to 2010. After his time in government, he became the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2011. He is a member of the Labour Party.

He was part of the Cabinet under both Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He was also the Chancellor of the University of Hull starting in July 2023.

Early Life and First Jobs
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Writing Career
- Novels
Personal Life
Images for kids
See Also

Early Life and First Jobs

Alan Johnson was born in London on 17 May 1950. When he was 13, his mother passed away, and his father had left the family earlier. Alan and his older sister, Linda, then moved to a council flat in Battersea. Linda, who was only 16, became his main caregiver.

Alan went to Grammar school in Chelsea but left school at age 15. He worked at a supermarket before becoming a postman at 18. He was also interested in music and played in two pop bands.

He joined the Union of Communication Workers, which is a group that supports workers. He became a full-time official for the union in 1987 and its General Secretary in 1992. In 1971, he joined the Labour Party.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Before becoming an MP, Alan Johnson was part of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee. This committee helps run the party.

Just before the 1997 general election, he was chosen to be the Labour candidate for the Hull West and Hessle area. This was considered a "safe Labour seat," meaning it was very likely a Labour candidate would win. He won the election and became an MP.

Working in Government

In 1997, he became a Parliamentary Private Secretary. This is a junior role that helps a minister. In 1999, he got his first ministerial job at the Department of Trade and Industry.

In 2003, he moved to the Department for Education and Skills. He became the Minister for Higher Education. This was interesting because he had left school at 15 himself.

In September 2004, Prime Minister Tony Blair made Johnson a member of the Cabinet. He became the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. After the 2005 election, he became the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. In 2006, he became the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

Education Secretary Role

As Education Secretary, Alan Johnson introduced new ideas. He encouraged parents to spend more time helping their children with reading and math. He also worked on improving pay and working conditions for teachers.

Health Secretary Role

In 2007, Alan Johnson became the Secretary of State for Health. This meant he was in charge of the country's health services. During his time, he faced challenges related to patient care and hospital management. He emphasized that the NHS should treat everyone fairly, based on its founding principles.

Home Secretary Role

In 2009, Johnson was appointed Home Secretary. This is a very important role, responsible for national security, policing, and immigration. He took over from Jacqui Smith, who was the first woman to hold this position.

Other Political Roles

Alan Johnson was considered a potential leader of the Labour Party. In 2007, he ran for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party but was narrowly beaten by Harriet Harman.

He was also thought to be a possible candidate for Mayor of London. He considered it but decided his loyalty was to his constituency in Hull. He chose to remain an MP instead.

Johnson has strong views on how elections should work. He supports a system called Alternative Vote Plus (AV+). He believes this system makes voting fairer. He actively campaigned for changes to the voting system in the 2011 referendum.

In 2010, he became the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Party's "shadow cabinet." This role involves challenging the government's financial plans. He resigned from this role in 2011 for personal reasons.

After 2015

In the 2016 referendum, Alan Johnson campaigned for Britain to remain part of the European Union. He led the Labour Party's campaign for staying in.

He decided not to stand for re-election in the 2017 general election. Emma Hardy succeeded him as the MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle.

In January 2020, he appeared on a TV singing show called The Masked Singer, dressed as a pharaoh.

In May 2023, he was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Hull. This is a ceremonial role, like being the head of the university.

Writing Career

Alan Johnson is also a successful author. He has written four memoirs about his life:

This Boy: A Memoir of a Childhood (2013) – This book won awards, including the Orwell Prize, which is a top award for political writing.
Please, Mister Postman (2014) – This book covers his time as a postman and a union representative.
The Long and Winding Road (2016) – This memoir is about his time as a politician in the UK Parliament.
In My Life: A Music Memoir (2018) – This book explores his lifelong love for music.

The titles of all his autobiographical books are names of songs by The Beatles.

He has also written a biography of former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

Novels

Alan Johnson has also written a series of detective novels. These books feature a detective named Louise Mangan, who works for the Metropolitan Police.

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

Personal Life

Alan Johnson has been married three times and has four children. His hobbies include music, playing tennis, reading, cooking, football, and listening to the radio. He supports Queens Park Rangers F.C., a football club.

Images for kids

Johnson in Hull, 2011

Alan Johnson facts for kids

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