Charles Clarke is a Labour fixer capable of broad-brush control of a department needing firm management.

As party chairman he earned the reputation as a tough figure although there was speculation that his robust style was playing badly with unions and rank-and-file members.

A pint-drinking sociable minister, Clarke has served at the Home Office and the department of education.

The member of parliament for Norwich South, he is a Cambridge graduate.

He was a researcher to Neil Kinnock as leader of the Labour Party until the 1992 election.

After Labour's defeat he established his own PR firm, before entering parliament in 1997.

Since then he has been on the fast-track, now taking control of one of the UK's biggest departments of state.