Shaun Woodward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shaun Woodward
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Woodward in 2009
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| Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Peter Hain |
| Succeeded by | Owen Paterson |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Creative Industries and Tourism | |
| In office 10 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | James Purnell |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Hodge |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 6 May 2005 – 10 May 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Barry Gardiner |
| Succeeded by | Maria Eagle |
| Member of Parliament for St Helens South and Whiston St Helens South (2001–2010) |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Gerry Bermingham |
| Succeeded by | Marie Rimmer |
| Member of Parliament for Witney |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 14 May 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Douglas Hurd |
| Succeeded by | David Cameron |
| Shadow Cabinet portfolios | |
| 2010–2011 | Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shaun Anthony Woodward
26 October 1958 Bristol, England |
| Political party | Labour (since 1999) |
| Other political affiliations |
Conservative (before 1999) |
| Spouse |
Camilla Sainsbury
(m. 1987; sep. 2015) |
| Domestic partner | Luke Redgrave |
| Children | 4 (including Ella) |
| Alma mater | Jesus College, Cambridge Harvard University |
Shaun Anthony Woodward, born on October 26, 1958, is a British politician. He held an important government job as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2007 to 2010.
Before politics, Woodward worked as a researcher and producer for television. He started his political journey with the Conservative Party. In 1997, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Witney. However, in 1999, he decided to join the Labour Party. After that, he served as a Labour MP for St Helens South from 2001 until 2015.
Woodward held several junior minister roles before joining the Cabinet. He was the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from June 28, 2007, to May 11, 2010. After the 2010 election, he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This meant he was the main spokesperson for his party on Northern Ireland issues while they were not in power. He held this role until October 2011.
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Shaun Woodward's Early Life and School
Shaun Woodward grew up and went to school in England. He attended Bristol Grammar School, which was a special type of school at the time. Later, he went to Jesus College, Cambridge, a famous university, where he studied English literature. He also had the chance to study at Harvard University in the United States as a Kennedy Scholar.
From 1981 to 1982, he worked to represent consumers' interests. Then, from 1982 to 1990, he worked for BBC TV News. He was a researcher and producer for popular shows like That's Life!, Panorama, and Newsnight. After his TV career, he worked as a communications director for the Conservative Party from 1991 to 1992.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In 1997, Shaun Woodward was chosen to run for Parliament in the Witney area. This area was considered a very safe seat for the Conservative Party. He won the election and became an MP.
As a Conservative MP, he spoke for the party on issues related to London. However, in 1999, he was removed from his role. This happened because he supported changing a rule about what could be taught in schools.
Why Shaun Woodward Switched Parties
On December 20, 1999, Shaun Woodward made a big decision. He left the Conservative Party and joined the ruling Labour Party. He did this without giving up his seat as an MP. This meant there was no special election (called a by-election) for his seat. He then helped the Labour Party with their election campaign in 2001.
His former colleagues in the Conservative Party were not happy with his decision. They felt he should have resigned and run again as a Labour candidate. Some Labour MPs also expressed surprise at his move.
However, important Labour leaders welcomed him to their party.
For the 2001 general election, Woodward decided not to run again in Witney. Instead, he found a safe Labour seat in St Helens South. He won this seat, though with fewer votes than usual for a Labour candidate in that area.
As a Labour MP, Woodward worked on human rights issues. He also supported the Gender Recognition Act 2004, a law about how people's gender is legally recognized.
In May 2005, he was re-elected in St Helens South. He received more votes this time, and his majority increased.
Shaun Woodward's Government Roles
After the 2005 election, Shaun Woodward was appointed to a junior minister role. He worked in the Northern Ireland Office.
In May 2006, Prime Minister Tony Blair gave Woodward a new role. He became a junior minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. His responsibilities included helping with the change from analogue to digital TV.
On June 28, 2007, when Gordon Brown became the new Prime Minister, he appointed Woodward to a very important job. Woodward became the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This meant he was in charge of government policy for Northern Ireland. He chose not to take a salary for this job because he was already wealthy. As Northern Ireland Secretary, he became a trusted advisor to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
After Leaving Government
After the 2010 general election, Woodward tried to get a position in Labour's shadow cabinet. Although he wasn't elected to the shadow cabinet, the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, kept him as the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for about a year.
In November 2013, Shaun Woodward announced he would step down from Parliament at the next general election in 2015. He wanted to focus on human rights work. Ed Miliband praised him for his decision to join the Labour Party years earlier, calling it a brave choice.
Shaun Woodward's Personal Life
Shaun Woodward married Camilla Davan Sainsbury in 1987. She is the daughter of a former Conservative MP. They separated in 2015. They have four children, including the well-known food blogger Ella Woodward.
His current partner is Luke Redgrave, who works as a camera operator in Hollywood.
Woodward is involved with several organizations. He is the chairman of the board for the Human Dignity Trust and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He is also a member of the board of directors for the Hamptons International Film Festival.
