Areas of Focus:
Intelligence and counter-terrorism
International crime and immigration
Domestic and foreign policy matters (United Kingdom)
Previous Experience:
Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Homeland Security
Home Secretary (2006-2007)
Secretary of State for Defence (2005-2006)
Secretary of State for Health (2003-2005)
Leader of House of Commons (2003)
Party Chair and Minister without Portolio (2002-2003)
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (2001-2002)
Secretary of State for Scotland (1999-2001)
Minister for Transport (1998-1999)
Minister of Defence (1997-1998)
Lord John Reid has dedicated his career to public service serving as a Member of Parliament for 23 years, half of which were in service as a Government minister. He is often described as one of the most experienced Cabinet ministers in modern times having held more ministerial posts at the Cabinet level than any other politician in recent history.
During the course of his career, Lord Reid served in a leadership position across several security-related portfolios in the United Kingdom including Home Secretary, Defence Secretary, Northern Ireland Secretary, Minister for Transport and Armed Forces Minister. As Defence Secretary and Minister, Lord Reid presided over the Strategic Defence Review which reconfigured the British Armed Forces in the post-Cold War period. As Northern Ireland Secretary, he played a major role in the Peace Process and negotiated arms de-commissioning with the Irish Republican Army. As Home Secretary, he led all efforts relating to counter-terrorism and introduced radical reforms refocusing the Home Office towards the contemporary challenges of international crime, immigration and counter-terrorism.
Following nearly a quarter of a century as a Member of Parliament, Lord Reid has served as a senior consultant to several major commercial companies and is presently Honorary Professor and Chair of the Institute of Security and Resilience Studies at the University College London. On July 22, 2010, Lord Reid was formally installed as a member in the Upper Chamber of the UK Parliament, the House of Lords.
