The Right Honourable Hilary Benn  MP Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Incumbent Assumed office  8 October 2010 Leader Ed Miliband Preceded by Rosie Winterton Shadow Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs In office 11 May 2010  8 October 2010 Leader Harriet Harman Ed Miliband Preceded by Nick Herbert Succeeded by Mary Creagh Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs In office 28 June 2007  11 May 2010 Prime Minister Gordon Brown Preceded by David Miliband Succeeded by Caroline Spelman Secretary of State for International Development In office 6 October 2003  28 June 2007 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by The Baroness Amos Succeeded by Douglas Alexander Member of Parliament for Leeds Central Incumbent Assumed office  9 May 1999 Preceded by Derek Fatchett Majority 10645 (28.5%) Born 26 November 1953 (1953-11-26) (age 57) Hammersmith London England Political party Labour Spouse(s) Rosalind Caroline Retey (1973-1979) Sally Christina Clark (1982-present) 1 Relations Tony Benn (father) Caroline Benn (mother deceased) Children Michael James Jonathan Carolinecitation needed Alma mater University of Sussex Website Official website

Hilary James Wedgwood Benn (born 26 November 1953) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds Central since 1999. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 and as the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs from 2007 to 11 May 2010. Since October 2010 Benn has been the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. In June 2007 Benn ran for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party placing fourth behind Harriet Harman Alan Johnson and Jon Cruddas. Contents 1 Early life 2 Member of Parliament 2.1 In government 2.2 Bid for deputy leadership 3 Bovine TB 4 May 2009 "MP expenses controversy" 5 June 2009 "War on Waste" 6 Personal life 7 References 8 External links Early life This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2011)

Born in Hammersmith London Hilary Benn is a fourth generation MP as the second son of former Labour Cabinet Minister Tony Benn and educationalist Caroline Benn. He attended Norland Place School Westminster Under School (a private school) Holland Park School and University of Sussex where he graduated in Russian and East European Studies. Benn has an older brother Stephen a younger sister Melissa and a younger brother Joshua. Member of Parliament This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2011)

On leaving university Benn became a Research Officer with the ASTMS and rose to become Head of Policy for Manufacturing Science and Finance. In 1979 he was elected to the Ealing Borough Council where he was Deputy Leader from 1986 to 1990. He was the Labour candidate for Ealing North in both the 1983 general election and 1987 general election. On both occasions he was defeated by the Conservative candidate Harry Greenway.

When Labour won power in 1997 Benn was appointed Special Adviser to David Blunkett as Secretary of State for Education and Employment. In 1999 he was quickly selected as the Labour candidate for the Leeds Central by-election following the death of Derek Fatchett. Benn won the by-election on 10 June 1999 on a very small turnout by just over 2000 votes. He made his maiden speech on 23 June 1999. In government

Hilary Benn has held the following positionscitation needed: 2001-2002 - Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department for International Development 2002-2003 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons & Probation 2003 - Minister of State at the Department for International Development 2003-2007 - Secretary of State for International Development 2007-2010 - Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Bid for deputy leadership

Benn was the bookmakers' favourite for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party.2 The early polls in the Deputy Leadership contest showed him to be the grassroots' favourite - in a YouGov poll of party members Benn was top on 27% followed by Education Secretary Alan Johnson on 18% Environment Secretary David Miliband on 17% Justice Minister Harriet Harman on 10% and Labour Party Chair Hazel Blears on 7%.3 The contest was formally launched on 14 May 2007 after the resignation of incumbent Deputy leader John Prescott Benn had some initial difficulties securing the necessary 45 nominations required to get on the ballot paper but he acquired the support needed to join five other candidates - Hazel Blears Harriet Harman Alan Johnson Peter Hain and backbencher Jon Cruddas.45 Supporting nominations from constituency Labour Parties showed Hilary Benn obtaining 25% Jon Cruddas 22% Harriet Harman 19% Alan Johnson 14% Hazel Blears 12% and Peter Hain 8% of the constituency parties that voted. The Labour leadership contest closed on Sunday 24 June 2007 with Harriet Harman winning the contest. Benn was eliminated in the 3rd round of voting having reached a total of 22.33% of the votes. Harriet Harman was elected in the 5th round with 50.43% of the vote. Bovine TB

As Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs it was the responsibility of Hilary Benn to respond to the threat to UK cattle from Mycobacterium bovis colloquially referred to as Bovine Tuberculosis (TB). The recommended optioncitation needed from the Chief Scientific Advisor until 2007 Sir David King was a badger cull.

In July 2008 in a House of Commons debate after Hilary Benn had made clear that a badger cull would not be pursuedcitation needed Anne Snelgrove (Labour) asked:

Was one of the practicalities that he envisaged that in constituencies such as mine with a densely populated centre surrounded by great swathes of countryside it would be very difficult to undertake a cull and persuade people in the densely populated centre that that was the right thing to do6 Hilary Benn replied: That was one factor that I was bound to take into account in reaching my decision because there are strong views on all sides and public opinion can have an impact on the practicality of a cull. It was entirely legitimate for that to be one of the factors that I weighed up in my mind but above all the decision has been taken as a result of the science.6 In April 2010 a badger cull was announced in Wales after the high court in Cardiff rejected a legal challenge from The Badger Trust.citation needed May 2009 "MP expenses controversy" Hilary Benn was picked out by several national newspapers as one of only three senior members of the Labour Party to have presented expenses beyond reproach. "When all Westminster MPs' total expenditures are ranked Benn's bill is the 15th least expensive for the taxpayer" said The Guardian.7 June 2009 "War on Waste" Relating to the huge amounts of food wasted (according to WRAP 33% of all food produced) Hilary Benn launched the "War on Waste" program to reduce this amount.8 Whilst Benn proposed to scrap the "best before" date altogether others proposed enhancing the validity date with other solutions such as time temperature indicators. Personal life In 1973 whilst at university he married fellow student Rosalind Retey who died of cancer at age 26 in 1979;citation needed Benn subsequently married Sally Christina Clark in 1982.citation needed He has four children Michael James Jonathan and Caroline.citation needed He and his family live in Chiswick West London.citation needed Benn strongly resembles his father Tony Benn in his speaking style and delivery but is a political centrist and New Labour loyalist. It is in this vein that he famously describes himself as "a Benn but not a Bennite".9 Like his father he is a teetotaller and a vegetarian.10 References http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U7219/ "Blears 8/1 For Deputy Labour Leader". CasinoTimes.co.uk. Casino Times. 17 February 2007. http://www.casinotimes.co.uk/casino-news/2007-02/william-hill-labour-170207.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-11.  Wells Anthony (8 September 2006). "YouGov polls on the Labour leadership". UK Polling Report. Anthony Wells. http://www.ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archives/312. Retrieved 2008-10-11.  "Benn short of backers". BBC News Online. 16 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/ukpolitics/6658307.stm. Retrieved 2007-05-17.  "Deputy hopefuls make their case". BBC News Online. 17 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/ukpolitics/6663653.stm. Retrieved 2007-05-17.  a b Parliamentary Debates House of Commons July 7 2008 column 1165 Stratton Allegra (8 May 2009). "Bargain Benn modest Miliband (Ed not David)". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/08/mps-expenses-hilary-benn-ed-miliband. Retrieved 12 May 2009.  Shields Rachel (7 June 2009). "Kitchen bin war: tackling the food waste mountain". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/kitchen-bin-war-tackling-the-food-waste-mountain-1698753.html. Retrieved 4 May 2010.  "Profile: Hilary Benn". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 24 June 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/ukpolitics/3023827.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-11.  Ashley Jackie (9 November 2006). "'I'm not a natural rebel'". The Guardian (London: Guardian News & Media). http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/nov/09/labour.hilarybenn. Retrieved 2008-10-11.  External links HilaryBenn.org official constituency website Hilary Benn MP official Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) profile Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 18032005 Electoral history and profile at The Guardian Voting record at PublicWhip.org Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record Profile at BBC News Democracy Live Articles authored at Journalisted Close family distant politics Nicholas Watt The Observer 3 June 2007 interview with Benn and his father Adapting to Climate Change Rt Hon Hilary Benn Royal Institute of British Architects Gleeds TV video Love Food Hate Waste Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by Derek Fatchett Member of Parliament for Leeds Central 1999present Incumbent Political offices Preceded by The Baroness Amos Secretary of State for International Development 20032007 Succeeded by Douglas Alexander Preceded by David Miliband Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs 20072010 Succeeded by Caroline Spelman Preceded by Nick Herbert Shadow Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs 2010 Succeeded by Mary Creagh Preceded by Rosie Winterton Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 2010present Incumbent v d eBrown Cabinet Cabinet Members Lord Adonis Bob Ainsworth Douglas Alexander Baroness Ashton Ed Balls Hilary Benn Hazel Blears Ben Bradshaw Gordon Brown Des Browne Liam Byrne Andy Burnham Yvette Cooper Alistair Darling John Denham Peter Hain Harriet Harman Geoff Hoon John Hutton Alan Johnson Tessa Jowell Ruth Kelly Lord Mandelson David Miliband Ed Miliband Jim Murphy Paul Murphy James Purnell Baroness Royall Jacqui Smith Jack Straw Shaun Woodward Also Attended Meetings Margaret Beckett Nick Brown Lord Drayson Caroline Flint Lord Grocott John Healey Jim Knight Lord Malloch-Brown Pat McFadden Tony McNulty Baroness Scotland Attended While on Agenda Beverley Hughes Sadiq Khan Dawn Primarolo Rosie Winterton v d eSecretaries of State for Environment of the United Kingdom Secretaries of State for Environment Peter Walker  Geoffrey Rippon  Anthony Crosland  Peter Shore  Michael Heseltine  Tom King  Patrick Jenkin  Kenneth Baker  Nicholas Ridley  Chris Patten  Michael Heseltine  Michael Howard  John Gummer Secretaries of State for the Environment Transport and the Regions John Prescott Secretaries of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Margaret Beckett  David Miliband  Hilary Benn   Caroline Spelman v d eSecretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom Minister of Overseas Development Castle  Greenwood  Bottomley  Prentice  Hart  Wood*  Hart*  Prentice*  Judd*  Hart*  Marten*  Raison*  Patten*  Chalker* Secretary of State for International Development Short  Amos  Benn  Alexander  Mitchell * Served as Minister for Overseas Development as a Minister of State at the Foreign Office v d eLabour Party deputy leadership election 2007 Outgoing Deputy Leader: John Prescott Hilary Benn  Hazel Blears  Jon Cruddas  Peter Hain  Harriet Harman  Alan Johnson Timeline for the Labour Party (UK) leadership elections 2007 v d eLabour Party shadow cabinet election 2010 Leader: Ed Miliband Elected Douglas Alexander  Ed Balls  Hilary Benn  Andy Burnham  Liam Byrne  Yvette Cooper  Mary Creagh  John Denham  Angela Eagle  Maria Eagle  Caroline Flint  John Healey  Meg Hillier  Alan Johnson  Tessa Jowell  Sadiq Khan  Ivan Lewis  Jim Murphy Not elected Diane Abbott  Roberta Blackman-Woods  Ben Bradshaw  Kevin Brennan  Chris Bryant  Vernon Coaker  Wayne David  Jack Dromey  Robert Flello  Mike Gapes  Barry Gardiner  Helen Goodman  Peter Hain  David Hanson  Tom Harris  Huw Irranca-Davies  Kevan Jones  Eric Joyce  Barbara Keeley  David Lammy  Chris Leslie  Ian Lucas  Fiona Mactaggart  Pat McFadden  Alun Michael  Gareth Thomas  Emily Thornberry  Stephen Timms  Stephen Twigg  Shaun Woodward  Iain Wright v d eCommission for Africa Blair (chairman) Adeola  Amoako  Baker  Benn  Brown  Camdessus  Geldof  Goodale  Peiding  Kalema  Manuel  Mkapa  Mohohlo  Thiam  Tibaijuka  Meles v d eOfficial Opposition Shadow Cabinet Alexander  Balls  Bassam  Benn  Burnham  Byrne  Cooper  Creagh  Denham  A Eagle  M Eagle  Flint  Hain  Harman  Healey  Hillier  Jowell  Khan  Lewis  Lloyd  Miliband  McKechin  Murphy  Royall  Woodward  Winterton Persondata Name Benn Hilary James Wedgwood Alternative names Short description British politician and Cabinet minister Date of birth 26 November 1953 Place of birth Hammersmith London United Kingdom Date of death Place of death