Hazel Blears facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Hazel Blears
Official portrait, 2007
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In office 28 June 2007 – 5 June 2009
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Ruth Kelly
Succeeded by	John Denham
Minister without portfolio
In office 5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Ian McCartney
Succeeded by	The Baroness Warsi
Chairman of the Labour Party
In office 5 May 2006 – 24 June 2007
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Ian McCartney
Succeeded by	Harriet Harman
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State for Policing, Security and Community Safety In office 13 June 2003 – 5 May 2006 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by John Denham Succeeded by Tony McNulty Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health In office 11 June 2001 – 13 June 2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Gisela Stuart Succeeded by Stephen Ladyman
Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles Salford (1997–2010)
In office 1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Stanley Orme
Succeeded by	Rebecca Long-Bailey
Personal details
Born	Hazel Anne Blears (1956-05-14) 14 May 1956 (age 69) Salford, Lancashire, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Michael Halsall
Alma mater	Trent Polytechnic College of Law
Website	Official website: http://www.hazelblears.co.uk

Hazel Anne Blears (born 14 May 1956) is a British politician from the Labour Party. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the areas of Salford and later Salford and Eccles. She served as an MP from 1997 to 2015.

Hazel Blears was one of many women Labour MPs elected in 1997. She held important jobs in the government's top team, called the Cabinet. These jobs included Minister without Portfolio and Chair of the Labour Party. She also served as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. She left this role in 2009 due to a public issue about expenses. The Prime Minister at the time, Gordon Brown, said she had made a great contribution to public life.

Blears was re-elected in 2010. She then worked as a regular MP, known as a backbencher, until she decided not to run again in the 2015 election.

Early Life and Education

Hazel Blears was born in Salford, Lancashire, England, on 14 May 1956. Her father, Arthur Blears, worked as a maintenance fitter. When she was five years old, Hazel appeared as an extra in the famous English film A Taste of Honey. You can see her bouncing a ball in the opening scenes.

She went to Worsley Wardley Grammar School and then Eccles College. Later, she studied law at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham. This university is now known as Nottingham Trent University. In 1977, she also studied at the Chester College of Law.

Parliamentary Career

Hazel Blears first tried to become an MP in 1987 and again in 1992. In 1997, she was elected as the Labour MP for Salford. This was her home area.

After becoming an MP, she worked as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS). This means she helped senior government ministers. She worked for Alan Milburn at the Department of Health and then for Andrew Smith at the Treasury.

Before the 2001 election, Hazel Blears was part of the Labour Party's campaign team. This helped her become more well-known across the country.

In the 2010 election, the areas that MPs represented were changed. Her old Salford area was combined with another to form Salford and Eccles. Hazel Blears won the vote to be the Labour candidate for this new area and was elected as its MP.

During her time in Parliament, some people called her "Chipmunk". A journalist later called her "the Iron Chipmunk," which was a playful reference to Margaret Thatcher, who was known as "the Iron Lady."

Ministerial Roles

After the 2001 election, Hazel Blears joined Tony Blair's government. She became a junior minister at the Department of Health, in charge of Public Health. In this role, she helped launch the government's "5-a-day" campaign. This campaign encouraged people to eat more fruit and vegetables.

In 2003, she was promoted to Minister of State for Policing, Security and Community Safety. She also joined the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party. In 2005, she became a Member of the Privy Council. This is a group of senior advisors to the Queen. In 2006, Tony Blair made her the Party Chair for the Labour Party.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Blears in 2013

On 28 June 2007, Gordon Brown became the new Prime Minister. He appointed Hazel Blears as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. This is a very important job in the government. She kept this job even after a government reshuffle in 2008.

In May 2008, she made a mistake on the TV show Question Time. She said there were 3 million people unemployed in the UK when Labour came to power in 1997. The actual number was lower.

Deputy Leadership Election

In February 2007, Hazel Blears announced she wanted to become the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. This job was previously held by John Prescott. She was one of six people who ran for the position. She came last in the election. Harriet Harman won the election in June 2007.

Leaving the Cabinet

On 3 June 2009, Hazel Blears announced she would leave her job in the Cabinet. This was just before important European and local elections. On the day she announced her resignation, she wore a brooch that said "rocking the boat." She later said she regretted how and when she resigned. Her resignation was one of several from the Labour government that summer.

Hospital Services

In 2006, Hazel Blears joined protests against the closure of hospital departments in her local area. These closures were part of the government's plans, even though she was a senior member of that government.

2010–2015: In Opposition

From 2010 to 2015, Hazel Blears was a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. This committee looks at the work of the UK's spy agencies. She helped present the committee's report on privacy and security. This report was written after Edward Snowden shared information about global surveillance.

In 2013, Blears started a program called "Kids without Connections." This program helped young people aged 16 to 24 get work experience. Local businesses in Salford and Eccles offered placements. These placements were not paid, but they gave young people valuable experience. As a result, 16 out of the first 42 young people found a full-time job or apprenticeship after the program.

Hazel Blears decided not to run for MP again in the 2015 United Kingdom general election.

Later Career

In May 2015, Hazel Blears became a director at The Co-operative Group. She also joined their Risk and Audit Committee and Nominations Committee. She was paid for this role, working about one or two days a month. In 2016, she became the Chair of the Social Investment Business.

She has also worked as Chair of the Institute for Dementia at the University of Salford. She is an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society and a trustee for the Social Mobility Foundation. In September 2020, she was appointed as a "Social Value Specialist" for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Personal Life

Hazel Blears married Michael Halsall in 1989. They do not have any children.

In 2005, Hazel Blears was part of a group of women MPs who enjoyed tap-dancing. They called themselves the "Division Belles." Other members included Caroline Flint, Beverley Hughes, and Harriet Harman.

Images for kids

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  Official portrait, 2007

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  Hazel Blears in 2013