Kevin Brennan (politician)

For other people with the same name, see Kevin Brennan (disambiguation).
Kevin Brennan
MP
Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills
In office
25 September 2015 – 28 June 2016
Leader Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded by Stephen Doughty
Succeeded by Vacant
Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Office
In office
5 October 2008 – 8 June 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Preceded by Phil Hope
Succeeded by Angela Smith
Member of Parliament
for Cardiff West
Assumed office
7 June 2001
Preceded by Rhodri Morgan
Majority 6,789 (15.5%)
Personal details
Born (1959-10-16) 16 October 1959
Cwmbran, Wales, UK
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Amy Lynn Wack (1988–present)
Children 1
Alma mater Pembroke College, Oxford
Cardiff University
University of South Wales
Website Official website
Commons website

Kevin Denis Brennan (born 16 October 1959) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff West since 2001, and was a Minister of State at both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families before the 2010 general election. His responsibilities included Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs.[1]

He was Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills until he resigned on 28 June 2016.[2]

Background

Brennan was born in Cwmbran, South Wales, the son of a steelworker and a school dinner lady. He was educated at St Alban's RC High School in Pontypool and Pembroke College, Oxford. He graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1982, and was elected President of the Oxford Union in the same year with support from William Hague who preferred Brennan's candidacy over others from the left of the Conservative faction in the Union. After Oxford he returned to Wales to study at the University College of Wales, Cardiff where he qualified as a teacher with a PGCE in history in 1985. He finished his education with a master's degree in Education Management at the University of Glamorgan (now the University of South Wales) in 1992.

In 1982, Brennan joined the Cwmbran Community Press as a journalist. He joined the National Union of Teachers in 1984 before becoming a teacher at Radyr Comprehensive School in 1985. He left the school in 1994 as Head of the Economics Department. Between 1991–2001, Brennan was a member of Cardiff Council representing the ward of Canton, Cardiff. During this time he served as Chair of the Finance Committee, Chair of the Economic Scrutiny Committee and Vice-Chair of Economic Development.[3]

Political career

Following Rhodri Morgan's decision to step down as the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West in order to concentrate on being the First Minister of Wales, Brennan was selected as the Labour candidate for the constituency and subsequently became the MP for Cardiff West in 2001. In 2002 he appeared in the House of Commons without a tie, as he favours a less formal dress code.[4][5]

After the 2005 general election, he was promoted to Tony Blair's government as an Assistant Government Whip. In June 2007, Blair's successor, Gordon Brown, appointed Brennan as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families in the new Department for Children, Schools and Families, replacing Parmjit Dhanda. Brennan was replaced in this role by Lady Morgan following the government reshuffle in October 2008. He then moved to the Cabinet Office before he was promoted in 2009, becoming the Minister of State for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs with responsibilities in both the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Following the 2010 General Election he continued this role in a Shadow Ministerial capacity before Ed Miliband's decision to appoint Brennan to his current position of Shadow Minister for Schools.

Brennan was made Shadow Minister for Trade, Investment, and Intellectual Property by Jeremy Corbyn in September 2015, with responsibility for, among others, low carbon business sectors, manufacturing, construction, trade, and intellectual property.[2] He resigned from this position on 28 June 2016, following a motion of no confidence in Corbyn which was passed overwhelmingly by Labour MPs.[6]

Expenses Scandal

Brennan came under considerable scrutiny during the United Kingdom Parliamentary Expenses Scandal for claiming items, including a £450 television for delivery to this family home while under the rules the allowance was supposed to be confined to spending on his London home. Further, he claimed for bunk beds for his daughter while the expenses system was intended exclusively for items for the MPs use. When he moved out of house in Brent, north London, in July 2007 and bought a new flat a 10-minute walk from the House of Commons, the former minister put the £10,200 stamp duty fees on his taxpayer-funded allowance, and began claiming mortgage interest payments of, a significantly higher than average £1,531.59 a month. [7]


Personal life

Brennan has been married to Amy Lynn Wack since 1988; the couple have one daughter. Brennan supports Cardiff City Football Club and the Cardiff Blues rugby team. He is also a member of the parliamentary rock group MP4.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Ministerial Responsibilities dbis.gov.uk
  2. 1 2 "New Shadow Ministerial role for Cardiff West MP". 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Biography kevinbrennan.co.uk
  4. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2061419.stm
  5. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-29835986
  6. ↑ http://www.kevinbrennan.co.uk/2016/06/resignation-from-font-bench.html
  7. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5301765/MPs-expenses-Kevin-Brennan-had-450-for-television-delivered-to-family-home.html
  8. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2005/05/11/mp4_music_feature.shtml

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Rhodri Morgan		 Member of Parliament
for Cardiff West
2001–present 		Incumbent
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