James Purnell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Purnell
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Purnell in 2021
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| Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 24 January 2008 – 4 June 2009 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Peter Hain |
| Succeeded by | Yvette Cooper |
| Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 24 January 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Tessa Jowell |
| Succeeded by | Andy Burnham |
| Minister of State for Pensions | |
| In office 5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Stephen Timms |
| Succeeded by | Mike O'Brien |
| Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 12 April 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Pendry |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Reynolds |
| Islington Borough Councillor for Canonbury East Ward |
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| In office 5 May 1994 – 12 October 1995 |
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| Succeeded by | Terence Herbert |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 March 1970 London, United Kingdom |
| Political party | None |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour (until 2013) |
| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
James Mark Dakin Purnell (born 2 March 1970) is a British person who used to work in broadcasting and was a Labour Party politician. He was a government minister in the Brown Government from 2007 to 2009. Later, he became the Director of Radio for the BBC in 2016. He also served as the BBC's Director of Strategy and Digital from 2013. In 2020, he left the BBC to become the vice-chancellor of University of the Arts London.
James Purnell was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Stalybridge and Hyde. He held this role from the general election of 2001 until the one in 2010. During his time in government, he was the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2007 to 2008. He then became the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2008 to 2009. He decided to leave the government in June 2009.
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Early Life and Education
James Purnell was born in the City of London. He spent most of his early years studying in France. Later, he returned to the UK to complete his A-Levels at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. He then went on to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Balliol College, Oxford.
While he was a student, James Purnell worked during his summer breaks. From 1989 to 1992, he was a researcher for Tony Blair, who later became Prime Minister. After finishing his studies at Oxford with a top degree, he worked as a researcher. He then joined the BBC as its Head of Corporate Planning.
Between 1994 and 1995, he was a Labour councillor in Islington. This meant he helped make decisions for a local area in London. In 1997, Purnell returned to work as an advisor at 10 Downing Street. He stayed in this important role until 2001. He also served on the boards of several arts organizations. These included the Young Vic theatre, the Royal National Theatre, and the British Film Institute.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
James Purnell was chosen to represent the Labour Party in the area of Stalybridge and Hyde in 2001. He won the seat in the general election that year. He won with a large majority of 8,859 votes.
As a Labour MP, he was part of the Work and Pensions Select Committee in the House of Commons from 2001 to 2003. He also chaired groups focused on specific topics. For example, he led the All-Party Group on Private Equity and Venture Capital. He was also the Chair of Labour Friends of Israel from 2002 to 2004.
Working in Government
In 2003, James Purnell became a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS). This role involves helping a senior minister. In December 2004, he joined the government as a Whip. Whips help organize voting and ensure party members follow the party line.
After the Labour Party won the 2005 general election, he was given a new role. He became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Creative Industries and Tourism. In this job, he helped create new laws. These laws changed how alcohol licensing worked in England and Wales. He also helped create tax breaks to support the film industry. In May 2006, he was promoted to Minister of State for Pensions.
In 2007, a magazine called Which? named him Consumer Champion of the Year. They praised his work on pensions. They said he listened to people and helped create a national savings plan for pensions. This plan was especially helpful for people with lower and middle incomes.
In June 2007, James Purnell joined the Cabinet. This is a group of the most senior ministers in the government. He became the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. He was the youngest member of the Cabinet at that time. He was then promoted to Work and Pensions Secretary in January 2008.
Faked Photograph Incident
In September 2007, a hospital in Tameside released a press photo. It showed James Purnell added into the picture using editing software. The hospital said he agreed to this because he was late for the original photo. However, Purnell said he did not agree to it. Another MP who was there said they left a space for Purnell in the photo, knowing his image would be added later.
Resignation from the Cabinet
On 4 June 2009, James Purnell announced he was leaving the Cabinet. He also asked Gordon Brown to step down as Prime Minister. His resignation happened just after local and European elections where the Labour Party did not do well.
In a letter, he explained his reasons. He said he believed that Gordon Brown's continued leadership made it more likely for the Conservative Party to win the next election. He felt it was important for the Labour Party to have a "fighting chance" to win. He stated he was not trying to become the leader himself. He said his actions were his own considered view. He also said he would support the government from the backbenches if Gordon Brown continued as leader.
After Parliament
On 19 February 2010, James Purnell announced he would not stand as an MP again. He said he had spent his whole working life in politics and wanted to try something new. He mentioned his work with a think tank called Demos.
After leaving Parliament, Purnell became the chair of the Institute for Public Policy Research. There was talk that he might run for Mayor of London, but he decided not to. He supported David Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership election. He was even offered a job as chief of staff to the new Labour leader, Ed Miliband, but he turned it down.
In April 2011, he became a Special Advisor to the Public Sector Group for the Boston Consulting Group. In July 2011, he shared some ideas for welfare reforms. He suggested things like a National Salary Insurance and free universal childcare. He also said that some "freebies" like the Winter Fuel Allowance should not be considered untouchable.
BBC Career
In February 2013, James Purnell returned to the BBC. He became its Director of Strategy. As a senior employee at the BBC, he had to give up his membership of the Labour Party.
In late September 2016, Purnell was appointed as the BBC's Director of Radio and Education. This meant he was in charge of all BBC radio stations and educational content. A newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, said a key part of his job was to attract younger listeners and viewers to the BBC.
In September 2020, the new director-general of the BBC, Tim Davie, made changes to the executive board. James Purnell left the BBC that year. He then became the president and vice-chancellor of University of the Arts London in spring 2021.
Images for kids
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Purnell in 2021
