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She was born in Canberra in Australia but moved to the United Kingdom to study at Newnham College, Cambridge, and stayed, joining the Labour Party in the 1970s. She was the Labour candidate in the marginal Leicester East constituency in the 1983 general election but did not win this seat. She was press secretary to Neil Kinnock and helped set up the Institute for Public Policy Research. After Labour's 1992 election defeat she became head of research with Andersen Consulting.
She finally entered Parliament as member for Leicester West in 1997, and was appointed first Economic Secretary at the Treasury and then Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce.
Since 2001 she has been Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women.
| Preceded by: Stephen Byers | Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 2001– | Followed by: Current Incumbent |