Biography

Geoff Hoon has been the Member of Parliament for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire since 1992. He was appointed as Chief Whip in June 2007.

Geoff was born in Derby on 6th December 1953 and was educated at Nottingham High School and Jesus College, Cambridge. Gray’s Inn called him to the Bar in 1978. From 1976 to 1982, Geoff lectured in law at Leeds University and was a Visiting professor of law at the University of Louisville, USA, from 1981 to 1982, before returning to Nottingham to practice as a barrister. In 1984 Geoff was elected to represent Derbyshire and Ashfield in the European Parliament. During that time he was a member of the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee and Chairman of the Delegations for Relations with China and the United States. Geoff remained an MEP until 1994.

In 1992 Geoff became Member of Parliament for Ashfield. While in opposition, Geoff Hoon held the position of Whip between 1994 and 1995 and then became a spokesman on Trade and Industry. When the Labour Party came to power in 1997 Geoff Hoon served in the Lord Chancellor’s Department as Parliamentary Secretary and was promoted to Minister of State in July 1998. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in May 1999 as Minister of State with responsibility for Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa; he was then made Minister for Europe on 29th July. Later in 1999 Geoff was appointed as Secretary of State for Defence, a post which he occupied until the 2005 general election. After the 2005 general election he became Leader of the House of Commons. He was Minister for Europe during 2006 and in 2007 he was appointed as Chief Whip.

Geoff married Elaine Dumelow in 1981 and they have two daughters and a son. Geoff has a long-standing interest in groups and organizations in his constituency. He is patron of Ashfield Friends of the Blind and honorary president of Friends of Ashfield Community Hospital. He enjoys football, running and cinema. He is also passionate about music and counts the The Beatles, Beach Boys and David Bowie, alongside modern acts such as Ryan Adams, amongst his favourite artists.