John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC (born 8 May 1947) is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary (2005–06) and then Home Secretary (2006–07). He was also, until October 2011, the Chairman of Scottish Premier League football club Celtic.
Born in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland to a working class Roman Catholic family, Reid became a Communist in his twenties, joining the Young Communist League as a student in 1972. He worked as a researcher for the Labour Party before being elected to the House of Commons at the 1987 General Election as MP for Motherwell North (1997–2005), then Airdrie and Shotts (2005–10)). Following Labour's return to government in 1997, Reid held numerous posts in the cabinet of Tony Blair, his first being Secretary of State for Scotland in 1999. Other posts he held include Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Health Secretary, Defence Secretary and Home Secretary.
He resigned from the cabinet in 2007 following Gordon Brown's appointment as Prime Minister, and did not seek re-election as an MP at the 2010 general election. Instead he was made a peer. Reid took a leading role in the campaign for a 'No' vote alongside the Conservative Party leader David Cameron in the AV referendum in 2011.
Read more about John Reid, Baron Reid Of Cardowan: Background, Political Ideology, Government Career, Votes, After Cabinet, Expenses, Awards
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