Labour MP
What position did Shaun Woodward take from Jun 2001 to Apr 2005?
Shaun Woodward Shaun Anthony Woodward ( born 26 October 1958 ) is a British politician who was the Labour Member of Parliament ( MP ) for St Helens South from 2001 to 2015 . He served in the cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland . Following the 2010 general election , Woodward was the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland until 7 October 2011 , when he was replaced by Vernon Coaker . A former television researcher and producer , Woodward began his political career in the Conservative Party . He was elected in 1997 as a Conservative MP for Witney , but joined Labour in 1999 . Early life and education . Woodward was educated at Bristol Grammar School , at the time a Direct Grant Grammar School , and now an independent day school , followed by Jesus College , Cambridge , where he studied English literature . He also studied at Harvard University as a Kennedy Scholar . From 1981 to 1982 , he was parliamentary lobbyist for the National Consumer Council . From 1982 to 1990 , he worked as a researcher and producer for BBC TV News and Current Affairs on the programmes Thats Life! , Panorama and Newsnight . He subsequently wrote a book about Ben Hardwick . From 1991 to 1992 , he was director of communications for the Conservative Party . Member of Parliament . Woodward was selected as Douglas Hurds successor as Conservative candidate for the safe seat of Witney at the 1997 election , having previously been a senior official of the party . Elected with a large majority , he was a front-bench spokesman on London for the Conservative opposition under William Hague until 1999 , when he was sacked for supporting the repeal of Section 28 , a regulation which aimed at preventing the promotion of homosexuality in schools . Defection to the Labour Party . After being sacked from the Tory front bench , Woodward then left the Conservative Party to move to the ruling Labour Party , without resigning as an MP . This meant that no by-election took place . He was given a job co-ordinating the Labour partys 2001 general election campaign . Woodwards local Conservative constituency association requested that he resign and run again in a by-election , under the Labour banner , as he had originally won the safe Conservative seat by campaigning as a Conservative . Woodward refused to hold a by-election , and continued to represent his constituency for two years . Woodward was criticised by his former colleagues in the Conservative Party , including leader William Hague , chairman Michael Ancram and Michael Heseltine , and backbench Labour MPs Tony Benn and Jeremy Corbyn , and ten years later , in the 2009 political diaries of former Labour government minister Chris Mullin . Woodwards defection was welcomed by senior Labour figures . In the June 2001 general election , Woodward decided not to contest his Witney seat as a Labour candidate and instead found a safe Labour seat in St Helens South . Chris Mullin wrote with shock of the awful Shaun Woodward defecting to Mullins own side , calling the New Labour elite parachuting [ Woodward ] into a safe seat .. . one of New Labours vilest stitch-ups .. . made my flesh creep . His successor in Witney was David Cameron , who subsequently became Prime Minister in 2010 . When news of Woodwards intention to stand reached St . Helens , a strong left-wing challenge was put forward in an attempt to deny the former Conservative the safe Labour seat . Neil Thompson of the Socialist Alliance and Michael Perry of the Socialist Labour Party both contested the St Helens South seat and received a total of 12% of the vote between them . Woodward won the seat with a much reduced 49% of the vote . As a Labour MP , Woodward served on the Joint Committee on Human Rights , and was a prominent supporter of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 . In May 2005 , Woodward was re-elected in St Helens South receiving 54% of the vote and his majority increased . However , the Liberal Democrats candidate , Brian Spencer , saw his partys vote increase from 23% in 2001 to 28% . Michael Perry of the Socialist Labour Party contested the seat again and received just under 2% of the vote . In government . After the 2005 election , Woodward was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office . In the May 2006 reshuffle , Tony Blair named Woodward Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Culture , Media and Sport with responsibilities for the digital switchover for TV . On 28 June 2007 , in his first cabinet , newly appointed Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Woodward as the Northern Ireland Secretary , replacing Peter Hain . Woodward chose not to receive a ministerial salary because of his personal wealth . As Northern Ireland Secretary , Woodward reportedly became a close confidant of the Prime Minister , Gordon Brown . This was largely due to Woodwards previous first hand experiences of the beleaguered Conservative government of John Major . In Opposition . Woodward stood for election to Labours shadow cabinet , but was unsuccessful . Nevertheless , he was retained as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by Labour leader Ed Miliband for just under a year . In November 2013 he announced that he would stand down from Parliament at the next general election , to work on human rights issues . He was praised for his role by then Labour leader , Ed Miliband , who wrote to him : In 1999 , you made an incredibly hard decision to cross the floor of the House and join the Labour party . It took personal courage and political commitment , and our party will forever be grateful to you . Personal life . He married Camilla Davan Sainsbury , daughter of former Conservative MP Tim Sainsbury of the wealthy supermarket Sainsbury family , on 2 May 1987 ; they announced their separation after 28 years on 20 December 2015 . They have one son and three daughters , including the food blogger Ella Woodward . His current partner is Hollywood camera operator Luke Redgrave , 49 In March 2001 , he was said to be the only Labour MP with a butler . Woodward currently serves as chair of the board of trustees at the Human Dignity Trust and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art ( LAMDA ) . He also serves as a member of the board of directors at the Hamptons International Film Festival . Works . - Death by Television by Esther Rantzen , Shaun Woodward ( Century , 1999 ) - Drugwatch : Just Say No ! by Sarah Caplin , Shaun Woodward ( Corgi , 1986 ) - Ben : Story of Ben Hardwick by Esther Rantzen , Shaun Woodward ( Penguin Character Books , 1985 ) - Thats Life Survey on Tranquillisers by Ron Lacey , Shaun Woodward ( BBC , 1985 ) External links . - Shaun Woodward MP official constituency website - Joint Committee on Human Rights