Haleema Khan AS Government and Politics
“Assess the significance of the resignation of David Blunkett as Home Secretary”
David Blunkett: A Personal Profile
The messy personal scandal which has brought about the political demise of the Home Secretary is out of character for a man who has always prided himself on his strong moral values.
David Blunkett has been a key figure in shaping New Labour's social agenda, a politician whose uncompromising principles shape both his private and professional life. He refused to back down when his tough anti-terror legislation and changes to the criminal justice system came under fire from judges, lawyers and human right campaigners. His belief in traditional family values bolstered him as he remained within an unhappy marriage for 18 years for the sake of bringing up his three sons. And yet it was the suggestion of personal sleaze - unproven allegations that he may have repeatedly misused the privileges of power to help his mistress, Kimberley Quinn, and to obtain visas for her Filipina nanny - that has led to his downfall. His cause was not helped by the flash of arrogance he showed in savagely criticizing his Cabinet colleagues in interviews with his biographer, whose book has just been published. The blind 57-year-old showed enormous dedication and strength of character to overcome his disability in his rise to power within New Labour. Born in Sheffield, he suffered the loss of his father at a young age, when the gasworks foreman was killed in a horrific industrial accident. The future Home Secretary was educated at Sheffield School for the Blind from the age of four and the Royal Normal College for the Blind, Shrewsbury, where he studied Braille, typing and shorthand. Lonely and living away from home, he drove himself to achieve academically. After leaving school, Mr. Blunkett went back to Sheffield and worked for the Gas Board, studying economics, politics and economic history A-levels in the evenings. Later, he attended Sheffield University where he obtained an honours degree in political theory and institutions. Hand in hand with his drive to better himself went his passion for politics. Mr. Blunkett joined the Labour Party at the age of 16, was elected a Sheffield City councillor in 1970 at the age of just 23, and a South Yorkshire county councillor three years later. Mr. Blunkett was elected on to Labour’s ruling National Executive in 1985, two years before he entered Parliament as MP for Sheffield, Brightside. He began in government as Secretary of State for Education and Employment in 1997 before becoming Home Secretary in 2001. He has three sons by his marriage of 18 years which ended in 1988. His interests outside Parliament include walking, sailing, music and poetry.
