Nick Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Nick Brown
Official portrait, 2020
Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 3 October 2008 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Geoff Hoon
Succeeded by	Patrick McLoughlin
In office 2 May 1997 – 27 July 1998
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Alastair Goodlad
Succeeded by	Ann Taylor
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In office 27 July 1998 – 11 June 2001
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Jack Cunningham
Succeeded by	Margaret Beckett
Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne East Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend (1997–2010)
In office 9 June 1983 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Mike Thomas
Succeeded by	Mary Glindon
Chair of the Finance Committee
In office 26 May 2021 – 7 March 2023
Preceded by	Lilian Greenwood
Succeeded by	Sharon Hodgson
In office 21 July 2015 – 17 October 2016
Preceded by	John Thurso
Succeeded by	Rosie Winterton
Junior ministerial offices Minister for the North East In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010 Prime Minister Gordon Brown Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Office abolished Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Commons Treasurer of the Household In office 28 June 2007 – 3 October 2008 Prime Minister Gordon Brown Preceded by Bob Ainsworth Succeeded by Tommy McAvoy Minister of State for Work In office 11 June 2001 – 13 June 2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Des Browne
Shadow portfolios Shadow Cabinet 2016–2021 Chief Whip 2010–2010 Chief Whip 1994–1994 Commons Leader Shadow Frontbench 1995–1997 Deputy Chief Whip 1994–1995 Health 1992–1994 Deputy Commons Leader 1988–1992 Treasury 1985–1988 Solicitor General
Personal details
Born	Nicholas Hugh Brown (1950-06-13) 13 June 1950 (age 75) Hawkhurst, Kent, England
Political party	Labour (until 2023)
Alma mater	University of Manchester (BA)

Nicholas Hugh Brown (born 13 June 1950), known as Nick Brown, is a British former politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle upon Tyne East from 1983 until 2024. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons.

Nick Brown was a member of the Labour Party for many years. He held the important role of Chief Whip of the Labour Party several times. The Chief Whip makes sure that members of their political party vote in the way the party wants. He served as Chief Whip under leaders like Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn, and Keir Starmer.

He was also a part of the Cabinet as Government Chief Whip from 1997 to 1998 and again from 2008 to 2010. He also served as the Agriculture Minister from 1998 to 2001. From 2007 to 2010, he was the Regional Minister for the North East of England.

Early Life and Education

Nicholas Hugh Brown was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, England. He grew up in Tunbridge Wells. He went to Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys and then studied at the University of Manchester.

After university, Brown worked in advertising for a company called Procter & Gamble. Later, he became a legal adviser for a trade union called GMB, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. A trade union is an organization that protects the rights of workers.

Political Journey

Becoming an MP: 1980–1997

In 1980, Nick Brown started his political career. He was elected as a Labour councillor for the Walker area on the Newcastle City Council.

In 1983, he became the Labour Party candidate for the parliamentary seat of Newcastle upon Tyne East. He won the election easily and became an MP. He was elected in the same year as future Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. Nick Brown became a strong supporter of Gordon Brown, even though they were not related.

He joined Labour's team in Parliament in 1985. He worked as a shadow solicitor general. This means he was part of the opposition party's team, ready to take on government roles if his party won. He also worked on treasury and health issues for the Labour Party.

In 1995, he became the Deputy Chief Whip for the Labour Party. In this role, he helped the party challenge the government's plans in Parliament.

Serving in Government: 1997–2010

When the Labour Party won the election in 1997, Nick Brown was appointed as the Government Chief Whip. He held this role for about a year.

In July 1998, he became the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This job involved looking after farming, fishing, and food safety in the UK. During his time as Minister, there were some animal health challenges, including the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001. He worked to manage this difficult situation.

After the 2001 election, he became the Minister of State for Work. He left the government completely in June 2003.

In 2007, when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, Nick Brown was appointed as the Regional Minister for the North East. He also became the Deputy Chief Whip again. In 2008, he returned to his original government role as Government Chief Whip, while still being the Minister for the North East.

In Opposition: 2010–2024

After the 2010 general election, Nick Brown continued to serve as an MP. In 2016, he was reappointed as Labour Chief Whip by Jeremy Corbyn. This meant he was the Chief Whip for the opposition party.

He was reappointed again as Labour Chief Whip by Sir Keir Starmer in 2020. This made him the only person to have held the Chief Whip role for three separate periods. He served under six different Labour leaders across four decades. He left the Chief Whip role in May 2021.

From May 2021, Nick Brown served as the chair of the Finance Committee. This committee looks at how the House of Commons spends its money.

In December 2023, he announced that he would not be standing for election again. He retired as an MP in May 2024.

Interests and Community Work

Nick Brown has received the freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne award. He is a supporter of Humanists UK, which promotes humanism. He is also a member of the GMB trade union.

He enjoys classical music. He was a director for the Mariinsky Theatre Trust, which supports a famous Russian theatre in the UK. He is also a governor at Walker Riverside Academy, a patron of Leeds Youth Opera, and a trustee for an art exhibition in Newcastle.