The Right Honourable  Geoff Hoon MP
Chief Whip Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
Incumbent
Assumed office  28 June 2007
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Jacqui Smith
Minister of State for Europe
In office 6 May 2006 – 27 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Douglas Alexander
Succeeded by	Jim Murphy
Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
In office 5 May 2005 – 6 May 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Peter Hain
Succeeded by	Jack Straw
Secretary of State for Defence
In office 11 October 1999 – 5 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	George Robertson
Succeeded by	John Reid
Member of Parliament for Ashfield
Incumbent
Assumed office  9 April 1992
Preceded by	Frank Haynes
Majority	10,213 (24. The Right Honourable (abbreviated as The Rt Hon) is an Honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Chief Whip is a political office in some Legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of In the United Kingdom, there are at five Secretaries to the Treasury, officials officially acting as secretaries to the Treasury board Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith (born 3 November 1962 is a British Politician for the Labour Party. The Minister of State for Europe is an executive position in the Government of the United Kingdom, in charge of affairs with the European Union. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Douglas Garven Alexander (born 26 October 1967 is a British politician who is Secretary of State for International Development. James Murphy (born 23 August 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom ranking beneath the Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Peter Gerald Hain (born 16 February 1950, Nairobi, Kenya) is a British Labour Party Politician who has John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946 most commonly known as Jack Straw, is a senior British Labour Party Politician. The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to This article is about the contemporary politician For the president of the Court of Session see James Robertson Baron Robertson George Dr John Reid (born 8 May 1947 is a British Politician who was formerly the Home Secretary and also filled several other cabinet positions including Ashfield is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) David Francis Haynes, usually known as Frank Haynes ( 8 March 1926 &ndash 11 September 1998) was a British Labour 3%)
Born	6 December 1953 (1953-12-06) (age 54) Derby, UK
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Elaine Anne Dumelow
Residence	12 Downing Street
Alma mater	Jesus College, Cambridge

Geoffrey William Hoon (born December 6, 1953) is a British politician. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Jesus College in the University of Cambridge was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person He is Labour Member of Parliament for Ashfield, and Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Ashfield is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Chief Whip is a political office in some Legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of In the United Kingdom, there are at five Secretaries to the Treasury, officials officially acting as secretaries to the Treasury board WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom

Early life

Geoff Hoon was born in Derby, England, the son of railwayman Ernest (who also saw action in the RAF in World War Two, serving in India and Burma) and June Collett. Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including He was educated at the independent Nottingham High School (joining the CCF from 1967-70 - few recent Labour politicians have had any type of military experience). Nottingham High School is a British independent fee-paying boys' public school situated about a Mile north of Nottingham City centre The Combined Cadet Force (CCF is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Before university, he worked as a labourer in a furniture factory for a year from 1972-3, then went to Jesus College, Cambridge, being the first in his family to go to university, where he earned a BA degree in law in 1974, followed by a master's degree. Jesus College in the University of Cambridge was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely. He was a law lecturer at the University of Leeds from 1976 until 1982, and was a warden at the all-male Devonshire Hall. The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research University in Leeds, West Yorkshire; one of the largest in the United Kingdom with He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1978, and was also a visiting law professor at the University of Louisville, Kentucky from 1980-1. The Call to the Bar is a legal Term of art in most Common law jurisdictions The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court around the Royal Courts The University of Louisville (also known as U of L) is a public University in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. He became a practising barrister for two years in 1982, in Nottingham. A barrister is a Lawyer found in many Common law Jurisdictions that employ a split profession (as opposed to a Fused profession) in relation Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England.

He claims to be not very politically correct, especially with his blunt and forthright views on female colleagues or the role of women in the armed forces.

Member of Parliament

Hoon was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for Derbyshire in 1984 and served in Brussels and Strasbourg for ten years. A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région He was elected as a member of the British House of Commons at the 1992 general election for Ashfield following the retirement of the sitting Labour MP Frank Haynes. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords Results |} The turnout was 33514074 from an Electorate of 43275316 voting in a total of 651 seats Ashfield is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. David Francis Haynes, usually known as Frank Haynes ( 8 March 1926 &ndash 11 September 1998) was a British Labour Hoon held the seat with a majority of 12,987 and has remained the MP there since, making his maiden speech on May 20, 1992. A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly- elected members of a Legislature or Parliament. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) His notorious skill is stonewalling - deflecting difficult questions by playing a straight bat, or appearing to do so.

Shadow Cabinet and in government

In Parliament, he was promoted by John Smith in 1994 when he was appointed as an opposition whip, and in 1995 he joined the frontbench team as a spokesman on Trade and Industry. John Smith QC (13 September 1938&ndash12 May 1994 was a Scottish Politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his Whip is a role in party-based politics whose primary purpose is to ensure control of the formal decision-making process in a parliamentary legislature In many Parliaments and other similar assemblies seating is typically arranged in banks or rows with each Political party or Caucus grouped together Following the 1997 general election he became a member of the government of Tony Blair as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Lord Chancellor's Department, being promoted to the rank of Minister of State in the same department in 1998. Results The election was fought under new boundaries with a net increase of eight seats compared to the 1992 election Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, in the United Kingdom government structure is a minister who is junior to a Minister of State who is in turn The Lord Chancellor's Department was a United Kingdom government department with jurisdiction in England and Wales Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a Parliamentary system. In 1999, he was briefly a minister at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, before entering the cabinet later in the year as the Secretary of State for Defence. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. He became a member of the Privy Council in 1999. Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. He served as the Lord Privy Seal and the Leader of the House of Commons from the 2005 general election until 5 May 2006. The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom ranking beneath the The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. He was appointed on that day as Minister for Europe.

Secretary of State for Defence

Geoff Hoon (right) at Pentagon briefing

Hoon was in charge of the MoD during a period of massive deployments of British troops, including;

• 2000 - Operation Palliser - Sierra Leone
• 2001 - Exercise Saif Sareea II - Oman
• 2001 - Operation Veritas - Afghanistan
• 2003 - Operation Telic - Iraq

Like many who have held the office before him Hoon was forced to make some difficult defence procurement decisions. Operation Palliser was a British Armed forces operation in Sierra Leone in 2000 under the command of Brigadier David Richards. Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Operation Veritas was the codename used for British military operations against the Taliban government of Afghanistan in 2001 Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Operation (or Op TELIC is the codename under which all British operations of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and after are being conducted For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The MoD is committed to competitive procurement and operates perhaps the most open defence procurement process in the world. The adherence to this policy caused significant friction between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and its largest supplier, BAE Systems. BAE Systems plc (BAE is a British defence and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, England, that has global interests particularly Hoon, and the MoD as a whole, refused the company's arguments that it should be treated as a "national champion. " BAE have been accused of demanding contracts, e. g the Type 45 destroyers. Background The UK had sought to procure the ships in collaboration with 7 other NATO nations under the NFR-90 project which later collapsed Recent events have demonstrated that the MoD will not entertain such practices, following the delays to the Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol jet and Astute class submarine projects BAE was force to write off £750m against the contracts. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Background As the ''Swiftsure''-class submarines aged the Royal Navy began to design their replacements

In a 2003 interview on the BBC's Breakfast with Frost, Hoon asserted that the UK was willing to use nuclear weapons against Iraqi forces "in the right circumstances. Breakfast with Frost was a talk show hosted by Sir David Frost on the BBC on Sunday mornings A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. "^[1][2]

Comment on Geoff Hoon's public persona has varied wildly from that of non-descript minister to a capable Defence Secretary and a "safe pair of hands" during and shortly after the 2003 Iraq War, to adjectives such as "slippery" and "dishonest" during the Dr. David Kelly Affair. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia David Christopher Kelly CMG ( May 17, 1944 – July 17, 2003) was an employee of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence The label "Geoff Who?" was applied by many national newspapers and he was given the joke nickname "Buff" (buffoon). A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon is a member of a profession that came into popularity He was widely expected to resign on the publication of the resulting Hutton Report. The Hutton Inquiry was a British Judicial inquiry chaired by Lord Hutton, appointed by the United Kingdom Labour government with the Whilst many were not surprised by the absence of any claim of wrong-doing on Tony Blair's behalf there was widespread disbelief that both Hoon and his Permanent Secretary, Sir Kevin Tebbit, were also completely cleared of any impropriety. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to The Permanent Secretary, in most departments officially titled the Permanent Under-Secretary of State (although the full title is rarely used is the most senior civil Sir Kevin Reginald Tebbit KCB CMG (born 1946 was a British civil servant Hutton concluded that there was no "underhand" strategy in the naming of Kelly but that the Ministry of Defence failed to inform and advise him of the effects his name entering the public domain. Hoon was unpopular throughout the Armed Forces, who considered him to be an advocate of unnecessary change and accused him of weakening the Forces. In particular, the then Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, publicly accused Hoon of neglecting morale and efficiency in his policies. The military's low opinion of him was long-standing and dated back to his handling of the Chinook helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre. This can be summed up in his well-known nickname amongst the services at the time as "TCH", or "That C**t Hoon".

On June 23, 2003 MP Geoff Hoon continued to claim that two trailers found in Iraq were mobile weapons laboratories. Mobile weapons laboratories are Bioreactors and other processing equipment to manufacture and process Biological weapons that can be moved from location to locating ^[3] This was in spite of the fact that it had been leaked to the press by Dr David Kelly^[4] and other weapons inspectors that they were nothing of the sort. David Christopher Kelly CMG ( May 17, 1944 – July 17, 2003) was an employee of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence The trailers were for filling hydrogen balloons for artillery ranging and were sold to Iraq by a British company, Marconi. ^[5]

In an interview in April 2004, Geoff Hoon said that more could have been done to help David Kelly, who supposedly killed himself on July 17, 2003, after being named as the source of Andrew Gilligan's controversial Today programme report. David Christopher Kelly CMG ( May 17, 1944 – July 17, 2003) was an employee of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Andrew Paul Gilligan (born 22 November, 1968, Teddington, London, England) is a journalist best known for his 2003 report about a Today, sometimes referred to as the Today programme to avoid ambiguity is BBC Radio 4 's long-running early morning news and current affairs

On July 21, 2004 Hoon announced major changes to the British armed forces. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " This review, Future Capabilities, is an extension of the White Paper Delivering Security in a Changing World which was published in December 2003. The 2003 Defence White Paper, entitled Delivering Security in a Changing World sets out the future of the British military, and builds on the 1998 Although wide ranging highlights include:

• Reduction in Regular Army personnel from 108,500 to 102,000
• Purchase of the four leased C-17s and one additional aircraft
• Confirmation of two major defence procurement projects, the Typhoon and Future Carrier (CVF)
• Withdrawal of three Type 42 destroyers and three Type 23 frigates
• Reduction in numbers of the Tornado F3
• Withdrawal of entire SEPECAT Jaguar force by 2007 and closure of its base RAF Coltishall

References

1. ^ "UK restates nuclear threat", BBC News, 2003-02-23. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout History Requirement The 22000 tonne Invincible class aircraft carriers ''Invincible'', ''Illustrious'' and ''Ark Royal'' History The class was designed in the late 1960s to provide fleet area air-defence Design Origin The Type 23 was initially conceived as an Anti-submarine warfare platform with a Westland Lynx or EHI Merlin Helicopter WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall, was a Royal Air Force station, a Military Airbase Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable  
2. ^ Geoff Hoon, interview by David Frost, Breakfast with Frost, BBC, February 23, 2003. Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE (born 7 April 1939) is an English Satirist and Television presenter, famed as both a Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
3. ^ Hansard (June 23, 2003). Hansard - Written Answers - Column 696. House of Commons Hansard. Retrieved on 2008-01-16. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate.
4. ^ Hutton (September 24, 2003). Hutton Inquiry Hearing Transcripts - Peter Stuart Beaumont. The Hutton Inquiry. Retrieved on 2008-01-16. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate.
5. ^ Peter Beaumont, Antony Barnett and Gaby Hinsliff (Sunday June 15, 2003). Iraqi mobile labs nothing to do with germ warfare, report finds. The Observer. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily.

Publications

• The Royal Navy Handbook: Ministry of Defence by Alan West, foreword by Geoff Hoon, 2003, Conway Maritime, ISBN 0-85177-952-2

External links

• GeoffhoonMP.co.uk Official Site
• ePolitix - Geoff Hoon
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Geoff Hoon MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Geoff Hoon MP
• Witnesses: Geoff Hoon in the Hutton Inquiry includes testimony transcripts, from The Guardian
• Mr Hoon's Site at Labour Party

News items

• Anger of parent of two Black Watch soldiers serving in Iraq
• Guardian profile January 2004
• Times profile January 2004

Video clips

• Defending the military intelligence in 2003 on Question Time