David Blunkett

About David Blunkett

Who is it?: Former British Home Secretary
Birth Day: June 06, 1947
Birth Place: Sheffield, England, British
Prime Minister: Tony Blair
Preceded by: George Wilson
Succeeded by: Clive Betts
Leader: John Smith Margaret Beckett (Acting)
Deputy: Alan Billings
Political party: Labour
Alma mater: Royal National College for the Blind University of Sheffield Huddersfield Holly Bank College of Education

David Blunkett

David Blunkett was born on June 06, 1947 in Sheffield, England, British, is Former British Home Secretary. David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician who became the first blind person to hold a ministerial position in Great Britain. Blind since birth and raised in poverty, he emerged as a successful politician through his sheer determination. After losing his father in an industrial accident, he and his mother were left virtually penniless, but with immense willpower, he earned a place at Sheffield University. Soon he became a Labour councilor and was later appointed as the leader of Sheffield Council. He chaired the Labour Party during the 1990s, gradually transforming himself into one of the leading voices calling for modernization of the party. First as the Shadow Secretary of health, and later the Shadow Secretary of education, he paved his way towards becoming the Secretary of Education in Tony Blair’s cabinet in 1997. His success as the Education Secretary saw him promoted to Home Secretary after the 2001 election. But his personal affairs interfered with his political career and he had little option but to quit the cabinet. Along with being a politician he is also a popular conference and after dinner speaker and has co-authored a number of publications. He continues to serve as a politician and his life is a source of inspiration to millions of people around the globe.
David Blunkett is a member of Political Leaders

Does David Blunkett Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, David Blunkett is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020).

🎂 David Blunkett - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

Currently, David Blunkett is 77 years, 5 months and 15 days old. David Blunkett will celebrate 78rd birthday on a Friday 6th of June 2025. Below we countdown to David Blunkett upcoming birthday.

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Popular As David Blunkett
Occupation Political Leaders
Age 76 years old
Zodiac Sign Cancer
Born June 06, 1947 (Sheffield, England, British)
Birthday June 06
Town/City Sheffield, England, British
Nationality British

🌙 Zodiac

David Blunkett’s zodiac sign is Cancer. According to astrologers, the sign of Cancer belongs to the element of Water, just like Scorpio and Pisces. Guided by emotion and their heart, they could have a hard time blending into the world around them. Being ruled by the Moon, phases of the lunar cycle deepen their internal mysteries and create fleeting emotional patterns that are beyond their control. As children, they don't have enough coping and defensive mechanisms for the outer world, and have to be approached with care and understanding, for that is what they give in return.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

David Blunkett was born in the Year of the Pig. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Pig are extremely nice, good-mannered and tasteful. They’re perfectionists who enjoy finer things but are not perceived as snobs. They enjoy helping others and are good companions until someone close crosses them, then look out! They’re intelligent, always seeking more knowledge, and exclusive. Compatible with Rabbit or Goat.

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Biography/Timeline

1947

David Blunkett was born on 6 June 1947 at Jessop Hospital, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, with improperly developed optic nerves due to a rare genetic disorder. He grew up in an underprivileged family and in 1959, he endured a family tragedy when his father was gravely injured in an industrial accident in which he fell into a vat of boiling water while at work as a foreman for the East Midlands Gas Board, dying a month later. This left the surviving family in poverty, especially since the board refused to pay compensation for two years because his father worked past the retirement age, dying at age 67.

1967

Blunkett was educated at schools for the blind in Sheffield and Shrewsbury. He was never sent for assessment at the School for the Blind in Worcester, and instead attended the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford. He was apparently told at school that one of his few options in life was to become a lathe operator. Nevertheless, he won a place at the University of Sheffield, where he gained a BA honours degree in Political Theory and Institutions; one of his lecturers was Bernard Crick. He entered local politics on graduation, whilst gaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Huddersfield Holly Bank College of Education. He spent a total of six years going to evening classes and day-release classes to get the qualifications needed to go to university. He worked as a clerk typist between 1967 and 1969 and as a lecturer in industrial relations and politics between 1973 and 1981.

1970

In 1970, at the age of 22, Blunkett became the youngest-ever councillor on Sheffield City Council and in Britain, being elected while a mature student. He served on Sheffield City Council from 1970 to 1988, and was Leader from 1980 to 1987. He also served on South Yorkshire County Council from 1973 to 1977. This was a time of decline for Sheffield's steel industry. The Conservative MP for Sheffield Hallam, Irvine Patnick, coined the phrase "Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire" to describe the left-wing politics of its local government. Sheffield City Council supported the National Union of Mineworkers in their 1984-85 strike, designated Sheffield a "nuclear-free zone", and set up an Anti-Apartheid Working Party. Blunkett became known as the leader of one of Labour's left-wing councils, sometimes described pejoratively as "loony left". Blunkett was one of the faces of the protest over rate-capping in 1985 which saw several Labour councils refuse to set a budget in a protest against Government powers to restrain their spending. He built up support within the Labour Party during his time as the council's leader during the 1980s, and was elected to the Labour Party's National Executive Committee.

1974

Having unsuccessfully fought Sheffield Hallam in February 1974, at the 1987 general election he was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Brightside with a large majority in a safe Labour seat. He became a party spokesman on local government, joined the Shadow cabinet in 1992 as Shadow Health Secretary and became Shadow Education Secretary in 1994.

1982

Blunkett has also co-authored a number of publications including Building from the Bottom (1982), published by the Fabian Society, and Democracy in Crisis (1987), published by Hogarth, which described the battle between local and central government in the Thatcher years. He has also contributed chapters to many books relating to politics and social policy and has also produced research papers with the University of Sheffield. Other publications include "Ladders Out of Poverty" in 2006 and "Mutual Action, Common Purpose" in 2009 (relating to the voluntary sector).

1984

Blunkett was almost immediately faced with September 11 attacks on the USA. He brought in new anti-terrorism measures, including detention without trial of suspect foreign nationals who couldn't be extradited or deported. It caused a backbench rebellion and provoked strong opposition in the House of Lords, and Blunkett made concessions over incitement to religious hatred (later carried through by his successor) and to introduce a "sunset clause". He authorised MI5 to start collecting bulk telephone communications data on which telephone numbers called each other and when, authorised under a little understood general power under the Telecommunications Act 1984 instead of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which would have brought independent oversight and regulation. This was kept secret until announced by the then Home Secretary in 2015.

1990

Blunkett divorced his wife, by whom he had three sons, in 1990. In 2004 the News of the World revealed a three-year affair with Kimberly Fortier aka Kimberly Quinn, a former publisher of The Spectator, and the disputed parentage of their then two-year-old child. After prolonged press speculation, DNA tests showed that Blunkett was the father. In 2005, The People newspaper launched a cycle of media speculation about Blunkett's alleged relationship with a young woman. The newspaper later apologised, admitting that the story was entirely false.

1992

He was portrayed by Phil Cornwell in The Comic Strip Presents's 1992 film "Red Nose of Courage".

1995

He also published a light hearted dog orientated look back at his life so far, in On a Clear Day, published by Michael O'Mara Books in 1995.

1997

As Secretary of State, Blunkett pursued conservative reforms, ready to take on the teaching unions and determined to ensure basic standards of literacy and numeracy. He was rewarded with extra funding to cut class sizes, and subsequently there has since 1997 been a massive increase in literacy and numeracy, and there are 42,000 more teachers than in 1997, with doubled spending per pupil in frontline schools (and over 100,000 teaching assistants) through to 2010. A key pillar of Blunkett's work as Education Secretary was the introduction of Sure Start, a government programme which provides services for pre-school children and their families. It works to bring together early education, childcare, health and family support. In 2011 the government effectively started the abolition of Sure Start by lifting the ring fence on earmarked funding and cutting back drastically on the funds available.

1999

Blunkett introduced the teaching of citizenship in schools in 1999, arguing that "We want to ensure that there's a basis of traditional knowledge that's available to all children." Citizenship education provides pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to become informed citizens, aware of their rights, duties and responsibilities.

2001

At the start of the Labour government's second term in 2001, Blunkett was promoted to Home Secretary, fulfilling an ambition of his. Observers saw him as Future Prime Minister, and a rival to Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown's hopes to succeed Blair.

2002

Blunkett radically overhauled 'Victorian' sex offences legislation in 2002, which modernised the sex offences laws dramatically in relation to same-sex and related issues by sweeping away the archaic laws governing homosexuality, while tightening protections against rapists, paedophiles and other sex offenders. The act closed a loophole that had allowed those accused of child rape to escape punishment by arguing the act was consensual and a new offence of adult sexual activity with a child, which covers any sex act that takes place between an adult and a child under 16, was introduced. It was supported by all major political parties in the UK.

2004

Blunkett resigned as Home Secretary on 15 December 2004 amidst allegations that he helped fast-track the renewal of a work permit for his ex-lover's nanny. Mr Blunkett had in 2003 introduced for the first time substantial fees for visa and work permits and their renewal. As a Consequence, turnaround times were tightened and customer Service targets strengthened.

2005

The satirist Alistair Beaton wrote the television film A Very Social Secretary, for Channel 4, which was screened in October 2005. He was played by Bernard Hill.

2006

In October 2006, David Blunkett's audio diaries were published in his book The Blunkett Tapes: My Life in the Bear Pit. The tapes detail his time as a cabinet minister until the present date, and provide insights into the workings of the Labour cabinet. They were recorded every week, and contain his view of what was happening in Cabinet at the time, alongside contemporary reflections and more recent thoughts on the events.

2008

He was featured on the Channel Five documentary series 'Banged Up' in 2008.

2009

He was interviewed as part of Armando Iannucci's examination of Milton's Paradise Lost, which screened in May 2009. In it Blunkett speculates on how Milton's Service in Oliver Cromwell's government might have affected his beliefs and jokingly quotes the media as saying "He [Blunkett] is no Milton."

2010

He was a key voice in the 'No to AV' campaign in 2010–11 and has spoken out against the Government's proposed boundary changes.

2011

One of his main interests is volunteering and community Service. In 2011 he published a pamphlet calling for a National Volunteer Programme, which received a wide range of support, particularly among third sector organisations. Since then, Blunkett has commenced putting together and becoming a founder of the Future For Youth Foundation, which sought to tackle high levels of unemployment in young people and which concluded its work in the summer of 2015.

2012

In September 2012 he published In Defence of Politics Revisited, where he set out a range of proposals to increase faith in, and improve the working of, democratic politics. Most recently he was awarded status as an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences. In July 2013, Sheffield University announced Blunkett had become a Visiting Professor in the Department of Politics, in the world's first Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics.

2013

Blunkett's guide dogs – Ruby, Teddy, Offa, Lucy, Sadie and most recently Cosby – became familiar characters in the House of Commons, usually sleeping at his feet on the floor of the chamber, inspiring occasional witty comments from Blunkett and his fellow MPs on both sides of the house. In one memorable incident, Lucy (a black Labrador curly coat retriever cross) vomited during a speech by Conservative member David Willetts. On occasions when Blunkett was guided by (then Prime Minister) Tony Blair the wry comment has been made: "who is guiding whom?" Another time, his (new) guide dog led him to the Conservative Party benches.

2014

In June 2014, he announced he would not be contesting the election in the following year, stating that he had realised he would not be returning to the frontbenches. In his letter he wrote: "it is clear that the leadership of the Party wish to see new faces in Ministerial office and a clear break with the past".

2015

Blunkett was appointed as Professor of Politics in Practice at the University of Sheffield in June 2015. In 2017 he received an Honorary Doctorate for services to government and education from the University of Huddersfield. Blunkett belongs to the Labour Friends of Israel lobby group.

2019

He is a Vice President of the Royal National Institute of Blind People and a vice President of the National Alzheimer’s Society, and has close links with a range of other charities (local to Sheffield and nationally) including those relating to substance abuse and breast cancer, and is a Patron of the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei). He is also a long-standing Patron of The Micro & Anophthalmic Children's Society – the UK's only charity supporting families of children born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes. He is also a former Honorary Chair of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA-UK) Advisory Board and was until March 2015, Chairman of the not-for-profit International Cyber Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA).

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