Hazel Blears

Hazel Blears was born in Salford, Lancashire on 14 May 1956, the daughter of Arthur Blears, a maintenance fitter.{{cite journal |last1=Bright |first1=Martin |last2=Kampfner |first2=John |title=Interview: Hazel Blears |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/long-reads/2007/03/labour-party-blears-deputy |journal=New Statesman |date=12 March 2007 |access-date=7 May 2010}} A five-year old Blears appeared as an extra in iconic English film A Taste of Honey, bouncing a ball in the opening credits.[https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/hazel-blears-reveals-cameo-role-in-classic-movie-6585621.html "Hazel Blears reveals cameo role in classic movie"], The Standard, April 12, 2012

Blears was educated at Worsley Wardley Grammar School in Wardley, Worsley and then Eccles College on Chatsworth Road in Ellesmere Park, Eccles. She went to Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham (now known as Nottingham Trent University), graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in law, and later, the Chester College of Law in 1977.{{cite journal|last=Webster|first=Philip|access-date=7 May 2010|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6216658.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507183005/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6216658.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 May 2009|title=Hazel Blears beats a retreat after criticism of Gordon Brown|newspaper=The Times|date=4 May 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.stnlive.info/case-studies/the-rt-hon-hazel-blears-mp-visit-to-carillion-skills-centre.aspx#.Uzithiwo5lY|title=The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP|publisher=www.communities.gov.uk|access-date=7 May 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530104925/http://www.stnlive.info/case-studies/the-rt-hon-hazel-blears-mp-visit-to-carillion-skills-centre.aspx|archive-date=30 May 2013}}

{{BLP sources section|date=May 2018}}

Described by journalist Michael White as a "ferociously effective networker", Blears stood in Tatton in 1987 against Neil Hamilton and in 1992 in Bury South where she lost by 788 votes. At the 1997 general election she was elected as the Labour MP for Salford, her home seat.

After the election she became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Department of Health Alan Milburn until 1998. She spent ten months in 1999 as PPS to then Chief Secretary to the Treasury Andrew Smith.

In the run-up to the 2001 general election, Blears was a member and later deputy head of the Labour Party campaign team, a group of backbenchers tasked with campaigning around the country. This raised her national profile.

At the 2010 general election, parliamentary constituencies for Salford and Eccles were restructured, with Blears's constituency being abolished. She defeated Ian Stewart in the selection contest to be the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the new parliamentary constituency of Salford and Eccles, and was elected.

During her parliamentary career, she has acquired the nickname "Chipmunk".{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/5437035/Hazel-Blears-resignation-brutal-revenge-of-the-chipmunk.html|title=Hazel Blears resignation: brutal revenge of 'the chipmunk'|date=3 June 2009|access-date=15 January 2010|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|first=Andrew|last=Pierce|archive-date=6 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606194905/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/5437035/Hazel-Blears-resignation-brutal-revenge-of-the-chipmunk.html|url-status=dead}} Fraser Nelson, writing in The Spectator, has subsequently dubbed her "the Iron Chipmunk", a play on the phrase "Iron Lady", often used to describe Margaret Thatcher.{{cite web|publisher=The Spectator|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3666708/how-they-are-trying-to-discredit-blears.thtml |title=How they are trying to discredit Blears|date=3 June 2009|access-date=15 January 2010}}

Following the 2001 general election, Blears entered Tony Blair's government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health, responsible for Public Health. In this job she launched the Government's "5-a-day" campaign to get people to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Blears was promoted in 2003 to Minister of State for Policing, Security and Community Safety.{{cite news|title=Home Office|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/home-office-z8x8szn5lx3|access-date=2021-12-14|issn=0140-0460|work=The Times|date=11 May 2005}} She was elected to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in 2003. After the 2005 general election, on 7 June 2005 she became a Member of the Privy Council. In a cabinet reshuffle following council elections on 4 May 2006, Tony Blair appointed her Party Chair, replacing Ian McCartney.

File:Hazel Blears.jpg

On 28 June 2007, the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Blears as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, replacing Ruth Kelly.{{cite news |last=Summers |first=Deborah |title=Brown appoints first female home secretary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2007/jun/28/publicservices.politics |newspaper=The Guardian |date=28 June 2007 |access-date=15 January 2010}} In April 2008, it was rumoured that Brown was planning a summer reshuffle in which Blears would be demoted.{{cite news |last=Porter |first=Andrew |title=Gordon Brown planning summer reshuffle to halt Labour slump |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/1895666/Gordon-Brown-planning-summer-reshuffle-to-halt-Labour-slump.html |url-status=dead |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=23 April 2008 |access-date=15 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621151817/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/1895666/Gordon-Brown-planning-summer-reshuffle-to-halt-Labour-slump.html |archive-date=21 June 2008}} However, when the reshuffle occurred in the autumn, she retained the position.{{cite news |title=Reshuffle changes |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7651229.stm |publisher=BBC News |location=London |date=6 October 2008 |access-date=15 January 2010}}

In May 2008, Blears mistakenly commented on BBC's Question Time that there were 3 million people unemployed in the United Kingdom when Labour came to power in 1997 (the official figure was 1,602,500).{{cite web|publisher=Channel 4 News|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/factcheck+hazels+claim+in+shreds/2243847?intcmp=news_fc_blearsshreds|date=23 May 2008|access-date=15 January 2010|title=Hazel's claim 'in shreds}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

On 24 February 2007, she announced her candidacy for the election for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, making her one of six candidates for the job formerly held by John Prescott.{{cite news|title=Blears to run for Labour deputy and admits party 'disengaged |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/feb/23/uk.labourdeputy|date=23 February 2007|access-date=15 January 2010|location=London|first=Patrick|last=Wintour}} She came last out of six candidates. Harriet Harman won the election on 24 June 2007.{{cite news|access-date=15 January 2010|date=24 June 2007|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6234692.stm|title=Harman wins deputy leader contest|location=London}}

On 3 June 2009, the day before the 2009 European and local elections, Blears announced she would resign from the cabinet at the next reshuffle. The media noted how, on the day her resignation was announced, she wore a brooch bearing the message "rocking the boat"{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8081141.stm|title=Brown pressure after Blears quits|publisher=BBC News|location=London|date=3 June 2009|access-date=15 January 2010}}{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6426969.ece|title=The plot thickens: Hazel Blears resigns, and MPs prepare to ask Brown to go|newspaper=The Times|location= London|date=4 June 2009|access-date=15 January 2010|first=Philip|last=Webster}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} On 12 June 2009, she expressed her regret at the manner and timing of her resignation in an interview with the Manchester Evening News.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8097955.stm|title=Blears to face confidence motion|publisher=BBC News|date=13 June 2009|access-date=15 January 2010|location=London}} Her resignation was one of several from the Labour cabinet that summer, with the government's difficulties compounded by poor results in the European elections and poor opinion poll results which were largely blamed on the recession and rising unemployment.{{cite news |last=Landale |first=James |author-link=James Landale |title=Gordon Brown's political career |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8673608.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=11 May 2010 |access-date=14 January 2024}}

In March 2005, while Home Office minister with responsibility for counter-terrorism, Blears implied that section 44 of the Terrorism Act would disproportionally affect Muslims. In response to this and to her seeming endorsement of it, Ray Powell, President of the National Black Police Association, described the minister's language as "intemperate and inconsiderate". "I think it is wrong of her to say they should accept it is used disproportionately. That comment would not be helpful and does not instill confidence within the Muslim community"."Muslims can expect the police to target them, minister says", The Times (2 March 2005), p. 2.

In August 2005, Blears said that the adoption of hyphenated titles such as 'Asian-British' or 'Indian-British' as a means of 'rebranding' ethnic minorities was "among a range of ideas" brought up in meetings with Muslim and other community groups.{{cite news |last=John |first=Cindi |title=The UK's ethnic name game |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4135022.stm |publisher=BBC News |location=London |date=9 August 2005 |access-date=15 January 2010}} This proposal was quickly withdrawn by the Home Office, as the government moved to distance itself from the idea.

In 2006, Blears joined in protests against the closure of hospital departments in her constituency, even though these closures were consistent with the policies of the government of which she was a senior member. Health Emergency's head of campaigns Geoff Martin said, "there are 29 hospitals up and down the country facing the immediate threat of cuts and closure to key services in 2007. Will Hazel Blears be joining demonstrators on the streets in each of those areas or is this just a classic case of 'not in my back yard'"?{{cite web|url=http://www.24dash.com/centralgovernment/14727.htm|website=24 dash.com|date=28 December 2006|title=Blears rejects hypocrisy claims over NHS protest|access-date=15 January 2010|archive-date=6 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106124155/http://www.24dash.com/centralgovernment/14727.htm|url-status=dead}}

{{Main|United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal}}

File:Hazel Blears, June 2009 2 cropped.jpg

In May 2009, The Telegraph reported that Blears had claimed the maximum allowable expenses, within one pound, for three properties, as well as for stays in hotels. She had also claimed £4,874 on furniture, £899 on a new bed and £913 on a new TV, the second such TV in under a year, and the maximum £400 a month in groceries, and many were said to be outraged that she was not prosecuted. Further, Blears had not paid capital gains tax on profit from the sale of a London flat. The property was registered as her main residence with HM Revenue and Customs, but Blears had been claiming MPs' second home expenses relating to the flat. She had made a £45,000 profit on its sale without paying capital gains tax.{{cite news|access-date=15 January 2010|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5301703/Hazel-Blears-facing-fresh-questions-over-flat-sale-MPs-expenses.html|title=Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, facing fresh questions over flat sale in row over MPs' expenses|newspaper=The Sunday Telegraph|date=10 May 2009|location=London|first1=Patrick|last1=Hennessy|first2=Melissa|last2=Kite}}

On 12 May, she volunteered to pay the £13,332 capital gains tax she had avoided on the sale of her second home.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/13/mps-expenses-hazel-blears|title=Hazel Blears attempts to rebuild reputation with £13,332 cheque|newspaper=The Guardian|date=13 May 2009|access-date=15 January 2010|first=Matthew|last=Taylor|location=London}} It was subsequently claimed that Gordon Brown had ordered her to repay the sum.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5364423/Gordon-Brown-pursuing-a-political-vendetta-against-Hazel-Blears-MPs-expenses.html |title=Gordon Brown 'pursuing a political vendetta' against Hazel Blears|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=21 May 2009|access-date=15 January 2010|location=London|first=Andrew|last=Porter}}

In Salford, her constituency, she was met by a number of angry protesters and stayed in a local hotel rather than at home.{{cite news|url=http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=188|title=Mark Thomas Visits Hazel Blears in Salford|newspaper=Salford Star|date=1 June 2009|access-date=19 March 2012|location=Salford}}

Following an investigation by Sir Thomas Legg, Blears was told to repay £225 in expenses in relation to a glass shelving unit for her London flat.{{cite web|author=Dan Thompson|title=Blears told to pay £225 in expenses row|publisher=Manchester Evening News|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1171105_blears_told_to_pay_225_in_expenses_row|date=14 October 2009|access-date=29 January 2012|archive-date=12 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112160426/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1171105_blears_told_to_pay_225_in_expenses_row|url-status=dead}}

Blears was a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament from September 2010 to March 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/hazel-blears/456|title=Rt Hon Hazel Blears|publisher=UK Parliament|access-date=3 January 2018}} Blears presented the committee's report on privacy and security, carried out following Edward Snowden's revelations about global surveillance by the security agencies, to the media.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/12/john-craces-sketch-intelligence-agencies-cleared-surveillance-parliamentary-committee|title=Nothing to see here: committee gives intelligence services all-clear|last=Crace|first=John|newspaper=The Guardian|date=12 March 2015|access-date=3 January 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hazel-blears-says-security-committee-did-know-the-scope-of-gchq-snooping-8928888.html |title=Hazel Blears says security committee did know the scope of GCHQ snooping|last=Legge|first=James|newspaper=The Independent|date=8 November 2013|access-date=3 January 2018}}

In 2013, Blears launched the Kids without Connections work experience programme. The programme aims to encourage local businesses across Salford and Eccles to offer work experience to young people aged between 16 and 24 years. The placements were not paid but were a way of providing experience to people unemployed or seeking work. As a direct result of the project 16 of the 42 initial young people on the programme found a full-time job or apprenticeship immediately after the scheme had ended.{{cite news|url=http://manchestergazette.co.uk/young-people-find-permanent-jobs-through-hazel-blears-work-experience-scheme/|title=Young people find permanent jobs through Hazel Blears' work experience scheme|newspaper=Manchester Gazette|date=8 July 2013|access-date=12 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911112523/http://manchestergazette.co.uk/young-people-find-permanent-jobs-through-hazel-blears-work-experience-scheme/|archive-date=11 September 2013|url-status=dead}}

She stood down at the 2015 general election, as she had announced.{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/news/story/2014-02-20/hazel-blears-to-step-down-as-mp/|title=Ex-Cabinet minister Hazel Blears to step down as an MP|publisher=ITV News|access-date=20 February 2014}}{{cite news|access-date=24 April 2014|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/10652513/Expenses-MP-Hazel-Blears-to-quit-Commons-in-2015.html|title=Expenses MP Hazel Blears to quit Commons in 2015|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|author=Christopher Hope|date=20 February 2014}}{{cite news|date=20 February 2014|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-26282509|title=Hazel Blears, MP for Salford and Eccles, to stand down|publisher=BBC News|access-date=24 April 2014}}

In May 2015, Blears became a director of The Co-operative Group and a member of the Risk and Audit Committee and Nominations Committee, for which she was paid £60,000 a year for which she was expected a minimum of one or two days' work per month.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32804261|title=Ex-Salford MP Hazel Blears lands £60k Co-op director job|publisher=BBC News|date=20 May 2015|access-date=31 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.co-operative.coop/about-us/hazel-blears|title=Hazel Blears|publisher=Co-operative Group|access-date=31 December 2017}} In 2016 Blears was appointed Chair of the Social Investment Business.{{cite news|url=https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/hazel-blears-appointed-chair-social-investment-business/finance/article/1381180|title=Hazel Blears appointed chair of the Social Investment Business|last=Kay|first=Liam|newspaper=Third Sector|date=28 January 2016|access-date=3 January 2018}} She has also had roles as Chair of the Institute for Dementia at the University of Salford, as an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society, and as a trustee of the Social Mobility Foundation.{{cite web|title=Hazel Blears|url=https://www.co-operative.coop/about-us/hazel-blears|publisher=Co-operative Group Limited|access-date=13 May 2018}} In September 2020, Blears was appointed as "Social Value Specialist" for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.{{cite web|last=Crack|first=Cumbria|date=2020-09-10|title=NDA announces Social Value Specialist|url=https://www.cumbriacrack.com/2020/09/10/nda-announces-social-value-specialist/|access-date=10 September 2020|website=Cumbria Crack}}

She married Michael Halsall in 1989. They have no children.

In 2005 Blears was a member of a parliamentary tap-dancing troupe known as the Division Belles (a play on the term "division bell"). Other members included Caroline Flint, Beverley Hughes, Laura Moffatt, Meg Munn, Joan Ryan and Dari Taylor.{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/aug/05/labour.politics|title=Hazel Blears MP|date=5 August 2005|access-date=15 January 2010|location=London|first=Michael|last=White}}

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• {{UK MP links|parliament=hazel-blears/456|hansard=ms-hazel-blears|hansardcurr= 4035|guardian=468/hazel-blears|publicwhip=Hazel_Blears|theywork=hazel_blears |record=Hazel-Blears/Salford-and-Eccles/49|bbc=25160.stm|journalisted=hazel-blears}}
• {{cite web|url=http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/organisation/ministers/hazel-blears/?version=1 |title=Home Office | Hazel Blears - Crime |access-date=28 December 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060213230103/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/organisation/ministers/hazel-blears/?version=1 |archive-date=13 February 2006 }} Official biography
• {{cite web|url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/profiles/corporate/hazelblears |title=Hazel Blears MP - Corporate - Communities and Local Government |access-date=29 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104901/http://www.communities.gov.uk/profiles/corporate/hazelblears |archive-date=1 May 2008 }}

;Audio clips

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070630111629/http://www.wpradio.co.uk/mp3s/HazelBlearsInterview.mp3 WPRadio] Online interview on Women's Parliamentary Radio just before taking over role as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

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Category:1956 births

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