Political Career
He was first elected at the 2005 general election to the parliamentary constituency of Hornchurch, defeating the Labour candidate and incumbent MP John Cryer by just 480 votes.
Boundary changes in east London divided his constituency and made it difficult for him to seek re-election there. Brokenshire therefore sought selection in other constituencies; he was unsuccessful in Witham in November 2006, Hornchurch and Upminster (containing part of his constituency at that time) in March 2007, Gillingham and Rainham in July 2007, Grantham and Stamford in October 2007, North East Cambridgeshire in January 2008, and Maidstone and The Weald later that same month. Brokenshire was finally selected as Conservative candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup in June 2008.
He was duly elected as Member of Parliament for Old Bexley and Sidcup in May 2010, and was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary for Crime Reduction in the Home Office within the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government. In May 2011, his Home Office brief was changed from Crime Reduction to that of him becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime and Security following the resignation of Baroness Neville-Jones, although he was not appointed to the more senior rank of Minister of State.
Notably Mr Brokenshire led the closure of the UK's Forensic Science Service, with the loss of over 2000 jobs, which included skilled forensic/research scientists, many whom have since left the profession Science and Technology Committee Inquiries into FSS closure.
Read more about this topic: James Brokenshire
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