John Healey (politician)

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The Right Honourable John Healey MP
Official portrait, 2024
Secretary of State for Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Grant Shapps
Minister of State for Housing and Planning
In office 5 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Margaret Beckett
Succeeded by	Grant Shapps
Junior ministerial offices 2007–2009 Local Government 2005–2007 Financial Secretary 2002–2005 Economic Secretary 2001–2002 Adult Skills
Shadow cabinet portfolios 2020–2024 Defence 2015–2020 Housing 2010–2011 Health 2010–2010 Housing
Member of Parliament for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough Wentworth and Dearne (2010–2024) Wentworth (1997-2010)
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 May 1997
Preceded by	Peter Hardy
Majority	6,908 (20.4%)
Personal details
Born	(1960-02-13) 13 February 1960 (age 64) Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Jackie Bate ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	1
Education	St Peter's School, York
Alma mater	Christ's College, Cambridge (BA)
Website	Official website

John Healey (born 13 February 1960) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Defence since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, formerly Wentworth and Wentworth and Dearne respectively, since 1997.

Healey served under Tony Blair as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Adult Skills from 1997 to 2001, as Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 2002 to 2005, Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 2005 to 2007, and under Gordon Brown as Minister of State for Local Government from 2007 to 2009 and as Minister of State for Housing and Planning from 2009 to 2010.

Following the 2010 general election, he was elected to the Shadow Cabinet and was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health by Ed Miliband. He stood down from the role in October 2011 and was succeeded by Andy Burnham. He also served as Shadow Secretary of State for Housing from 2016 to 2020 under Jeremy Corbyn, and worked alongside Andrew Gwynne, the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.