James Mark Dakin Purnell (born 2 March 1970) is a British broadcasting executive and former Labour Party politician who served as Work and Pensions Secretary and Culture Secretary in the Brown Government from 2007 to 2009. In October 2016, he became BBC's Director of Radio, in addition to his other role as the BBC's Director of Strategy and Digital, a job he had held since March 2013. In 2020 he left the BBC to become vice-chancellor of University of the Arts London.
Purnell was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stalybridge and Hyde from the 2001 until the 2010 General Election. He served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2007 to 2008 and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2008 to 2009. He resigned from the Government on 4 June 2009, criticising the leadership of Gordon Brown.
He became the director of the Open Left project for Demos in 2009. Purnell chaired the Institute for Public Policy Research until 2010, and was a senior advisor in the Public Sector practice of the Boston Consulting Group. He is also a film producer, and a former Senior Producer at Rare Day, who produced the film One Mile Away.
Early life
Purnell was born in the City of London; he received most of his education in France before returning to study for his A Levels at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and then read Philosophy, politics and economics at Balliol College, Oxford. While a student, he worked during summer vacations as a researcher for Tony Blair between 1989 and 1992. After graduating from Oxford University with a first class degree, he worked as a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research before moving to the BBC to become its Head of Corporate Planning.
Between May 1994 and October 1995, he was a Labour councillor in Islington, representing Canonbury East ward. In 1997, Purnell returned to work as a special adviser at Number 10, remaining in the post until 2001. He has also served as a consultant at Hydra Associates, a board member of the Young Vic theatre as well as of the Royal National Theatre and the British Film Institute, and as a senior advisor to Boston Consulting Group.
Member of Parliament
Purnell was selected as the Labour candidate for the seat of Stalybridge and Hyde in 2001, and won the seat in that year's general election with a majority of 8,859. While a Labour MP, he was a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee in the House of Commons from 2001 to 2003, the Chair of the All-Party Group on Private Equity and Venture Capital between 2002 and 2003, and the Chair of Labour Friends of Israel from 2002 to 2004.
In government
In 2003, Purnell became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Ruth Kelly in the Cabinet Office, and in December 2004 he joined the Government as a Whip in the government reshuffle following the resignation of David Blunkett.
After Labour was returned to power in the 2005 general election, he was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Creative Industries and Tourism in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, where he was in charge of preparing the legislation that liberalised the alcohol licensing laws of England and Wales and created tax breaks for the film industry. In May 2006, he was promoted to be Minister of State for Pensions in the Department for Work and Pensions, replacing Stephen Timms.
In 2007, he was named Consumer Champion of the Year by Which? magazine for his work on pensions. Which? cited his "commitment to consumers in the development of the national pensions saving scheme", particularly for listening to stakeholders and for his contributions to the personal accounts for low and middle earners.
In June 2007, Purnell entered the Cabinet as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; he was its youngest member. He was promoted to Work and Pensions Secretary after the resignation of Peter Hain on 24 January 2008.
Faked photograph
In September 2007 Tameside General Hospital inserted Purnell into a photograph, as part of a press release for a Private finance initiative (PFI) deal. Tameside Trust claimed that he agreed to the insertion being late for the original photo call, Purnell denied this. Tom Levitt, a Labour MP who was present for the photoshoot, stated that he and other MPs left a gap for Purnell when the photograph was taken, knowing that Purnell's image would be added.