Hilary Benn elected as the Labour MP for Leeds Central in a by-election in 1999, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 19,270.
He currently serves as the shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland, after Sir Keir asked him to rejoin the frontbench as part of his September 2023 shadow cabinet reshuffle.
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His Leeds central constituency contains the central business and shopping districts of Leeds, where a large number of new built apartment blocks mix in with densely packed terraced housing. This West Yorkshire seat contains two universities and accordingly has one of the highest student votes in the country. This seat has been a safe haven for Labour ever since the Second World War and the area was once represented in Parliament by the former Labour leader, Hugh Gaitskell.
Benn served as Chairman of the Commons Select Committee on Brexit. He was a powerful opponent of leaving the EU, and put down a bill in 2019 to prevent a No Deal Brexit.
Benn previously served as Shadow Foreign Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, and Shadow Leader of the House, and Shadow Environment Secretary under Ed Miliband.
Benn also served in the Blair and Brown governments.
In June 2001, he was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development. Between May 2002 and May 2003, he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Community and Custodial provision at the Home Office. In May 2003 he was appointed as Minister of State for International Development and in October that year was made Secretary of State for International Development in the Cabinet.
Hilary Benn was appointed to Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment (DEFRA) in 2007, when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister. He stayed in the post until Labour lost power in the 2010 general election.
Prior to his time in Parliament, Benn served as Head of Research at Manufacturing, Science, Finance and Union- Britain’s fifth largest trade union – and in 1996 was promoted to the post of Head of Policy and Communications. Following Labour’s 1997 General Election victory, Hilary Benn was appointed as special adviser to the Rt Hon David Blunkett MP, then Secretary of State for Education and Employment.
Hilary Benn was born in London in 1953, and is the son of former left wing Labour politician Tony Benn. He attended Holland Park Comprehensive School and Sussex University.
When not working, Hilary enjoys gardening and watching sport. Benn has four children. He employs his wife, Sally Clark, as part-time office manager.
Hilary Benn is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Electric Aviation; and Global Security and Non Proliferation. According to the Register of Members Interests, he is the part owner of small nature reserve in Essex:
Email: hilary.benn.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.hilarybennmp.com/home
Twitter: @hilarybennmp
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hilary-Benn/
