Shadow Cabinet positions (2010–15)
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In office 8 October 2011 – 11 May 2015
Leader	Ed Miliband
Preceded by	Ivan Lewis
Succeeded by	Chris Bryant
Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 7 October 2010 – 8 May 2015
Leader	Ed Miliband
Preceded by	Jack Straw (Acting)
Succeeded by	Hilary Benn (Acting)
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
In office 8 October 2010 – 7 October 2011
Leader	Ed Miliband
Preceded by	Douglas Alexander
Succeeded by	Ivan Lewis

Government positions (1997–2010)
Leader of the House of Commons Lord Privy Seal
In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Deputy	Helen Goodman Chris Bryant Barbara Keeley
Preceded by	Jack Straw
Succeeded by	George Young
Minister for Women and Equality
In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Ruth Kelly (Women)
Succeeded by	Theresa May (Women and Equalities)
Solicitor General for England and Wales
In office 11 June 2001 – 10 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Ross Cranston
Succeeded by	Mike O'Brien
Secretary of State for Social Security Minister for Women
In office 3 May 1997 – 27 July 1998
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Peter Lilley
Succeeded by	Alistair Darling The Baroness Jay of Paddington (Women)

Shadow Cabinet positions (1992–97)
Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security
In office 1 July 1996 – 2 May 1997
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Chris Smith
Succeeded by	Stephen Dorrell
Shadow Secretary of State for Health
In office 19 October 1995 – 1 July 1996
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Margaret Beckett
Succeeded by	Chris Smith
Shadow Secretary of State for Employment
In office 21 July 1994 – 19 October 1995
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Prescott
Succeeded by	David Blunkett (Education and Employment)
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office 18 July 1992 – 21 July 1994
Leader	John Smith Margaret Beckett (Acting)
Preceded by	Margaret Beckett
Succeeded by	Alistair Darling

Incumbent

Assumed office
28 October 1982

Preceded by

Majority

25,824 (50.1%)

Personal details

Born

Harriet Ruth Harman
30 July 1950 (age 66)
London, England

Political party

Spouse(s)

Jack Dromey (1982–present)

Children

2 sons
1 daughter

Religion

Website

Harriet Ruth Harman, PC QC MP (born 30 July 1950) is a British lawyer and Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1982, first for Peckham, and then for its successor constituency of Camberwell and Peckham since 1997. She has served in various Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet positions and, in her role as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, she was twice the Acting Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition: from May to September 2010 and from May to September 2015.

Born in London to physician John B. Harman and his wife Anna, a solicitor, Harriet Harman attended St Paul's Girls' School and obtained a BA in Politics from Goodricke College, University of York. She qualified as a solicitor and worked for Brent Law Centre from 1978 to 1982, when she was elected MP for Peckham in a by-election following the death of Labour MP Harry Lamborn. Promoted to the Shadow Cabinet by Labour Leader John Smith, she served as his Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1992–1994) and then as Shadow Employment Secretary (1994–1995), Shadow Health Secretary (1995–1996) and Shadow Social Security Secretary (1996–1997) under Smith's successor Tony Blair.