John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan

John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan PC (born 8 May 1947), is a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010, and served in the Cabinet under Prime Minister Tony Blair in a number of positions. He was Health Secretary from 2003 to 2005, Defence Secretary from 2005 to 2006, and Home Secretary from 2006 to 2007.

The Right Honourable

The Lord Reid of Cardowan

PC
Reid in 2020
Home Secretary
In office
5 May 2006 – 27 June 2007
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byCharles Clarke
Succeeded byJacqui Smith
Secretary of State for Defence
In office
6 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byGeoff Hoon
Succeeded byDes Browne
Secretary of State for Health
In office
13 June 2003 – 6 May 2005
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byAlan Milburn
Succeeded byPatricia Hewitt
Other ministerial offices
1999–2003
Leader of the House of Commons
In office
4 April 2003 – 13 June 2003
Prime MinisterTony Blair
DeputyBen Bradshaw
Preceded byRobin Cook
Succeeded byPeter Hain
Lord President of the Council
In office
4 April 2003 – 13 June 2003
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byRobin Cook
Succeeded byThe Lord Williams of Mostyn
Minister without Portfolio
Chairman of the Labour Party
In office
24 October 2002 – 4 April 2003
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byCharles Clarke
Succeeded byIan McCartney
First Minister of Northern Ireland
In office
14 October 2002 – 24 October 2002
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byDavid Trimble
Succeeded byPaul Murphy
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In office
25 January 2001 – 24 October 2002
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byPeter Mandelson
Succeeded byPaul Murphy
Secretary of State for Scotland
In office
17 May 1999 – 25 January 2001
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byDonald Dewar
Succeeded byHelen Liddell
Junior ministerial offices
1997–1999
Minister of State for Transport
In office
27 July 1998 – 17 May 1999
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Sec. of StateJohn Prescott
Preceded byGavin Strang
Succeeded byHelen Liddell
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
In office
2 May 1997 – 27 July 1998
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Sec. of StateGeorge Robertson
Preceded byNicholas Soames
Succeeded byDoug Henderson
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
16 July 2010
Life Peerage
Member of Parliament
for Airdrie and Shotts
In office
5 May 2005 – 12 April 2010
Preceded byHelen Liddell
Succeeded byPamela Nash
Member of Parliament
for Hamilton North and Bellshill
Motherwell North (1987–1997)
In office
11 June 1987 – 12 April 2005
Preceded byJames Hamilton
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born
John Reid

(1947-05-08) 8 May 1947 (age 74)
Bellshill Maternity Hospital, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Political partyLabour (1979-present)
Other political
affiliations		Communist Party of Great Britain (1972-1979)
Young Communist League (1972-1979)
Spouse(s)
  • Cathie McGowan
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1969; died 1998)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 2002)​
ChildrenKevin · Mark
Alma materThe Open University
University of Stirling
(BA, PhD)
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website

Born in Bellshill to working-class, Roman Catholic parents, Reid first became involved in politics when he joined the Young Communist League in 1972.[1] He later joined the Labour Party, working for them as a senior researcher before being elected to the House of Commons in 1987 as the MP for Motherwell North.

He retired from frontline politics in 2007 following Gordon Brown's appointment as Prime Minister, taking on a role as the Chairman of Celtic Football Club. After stepping down as an MP in 2010, he was nominated for a life peerage in the Dissolution Honours and elevated to the House of Lords. Reid took a leading role in the campaign for a "No" vote in the 2011 AV referendum, appearing alongside Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, and also took a leading role in the campaign opposing Scottish independence.