Des Browne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Browne of Ladyton
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Official portrait, 2022
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| Secretary of State for Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 28 June 2007 – 3 October 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Douglas Alexander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jim Murphy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 May 2006 – 3 October 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair Gordon Brown |
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| Preceded by | John Reid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | John Hutton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 May 2005 – 5 May 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Paul Boateng | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Stephen Timms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 March 1952 Stevenston, Scotland |
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| Political party | Scottish Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton, (born 22 March 1952) is a Scottish politician. He was a member of the Labour Party and served in important government roles, called the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
From 2006 to 2008, he was the Secretary of State for Defence, and from 2007 to 2008, he was also the Secretary of State for Scotland. Before becoming a lord, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010.
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Early Life and Education
Desmond Browne was born in Stevenston, a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. He grew up there and went to St Michael's Academy, a Catholic school in the nearby town of Kilwinning.
After finishing school, he studied at the University of Glasgow. He earned a degree in law, which is the study of rules that a country uses to regulate people's actions.
Career as a Lawyer
Browne began his career in law in 1974. He started as an apprentice solicitor, which is a type of lawyer who gives legal advice. By 1980, he had become a partner in a law firm.
In 1993, he became an advocate, a lawyer who can speak for people in higher courts in Scotland. He focused mostly on laws related to children until he entered politics in 1997.
Entering Politics
In 1992, Browne first tried to get elected to the Parliament for the area of Argyll and Bute, but he was not successful.
Later, he was chosen to run for the Kilmarnock and Loudoun area, which was a safe seat for the Labour Party. He won the election in 1997 and became the MP for that area. On June 20, 1997, he gave his first speech in Parliament, which is known as a maiden speech.
As a new MP, he became an assistant to Donald Dewar, who was the Secretary of State for Scotland. He continued to work as an assistant for other government ministers over the next few years. In November 2009, Browne announced that he would not run for re-election in 2010.
Work as a Government Minister
After the 2001 general election, Browne was given a job in the government by Prime Minister Tony Blair. He started as a junior minister in the Northern Ireland Office. Over the next few years, he was promoted to more important jobs.
Important Cabinet Roles
In 2005, Browne joined the Cabinet, which is the group of the most senior government ministers. His first Cabinet job was Chief Secretary to the Treasury, where he helped manage the government's money.
In May 2006, he became the Secretary of State for Defence. In this role, he was in charge of the United Kingdom's armed forces. One of his major tasks was convincing Parliament to approve the replacement of the Trident nuclear missile system.
When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, Browne was also made the Secretary of State for Scotland. This meant he was the UK government's main minister for Scottish issues, while also still being in charge of Defence. He left the government in October 2008 during a reshuffle.
Life After Leaving Government
After he stopped being an MP in 2010, Browne was made a life peer. This means he became a member of the House of Lords for the rest of his life. His official title is Baron Browne of Ladyton.
Work for Global Security
Browne is the vice chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, an organization that works to make the world safer. It tries to reduce the danger of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
He is also involved with other groups that work towards getting rid of nuclear weapons around the world, such as the European Leadership Network and Global Zero.
Special Envoy to Sri Lanka
In 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown asked Browne to be a special representative, or envoy, to Sri Lanka. However, the government of Sri Lanka did not accept the appointment. They said the British government had not discussed it with them first.
