Official opening

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell opened the new facilities at Leigh Cricket Club on Tuesday 12th February 2002.

Tessa Jowell has been the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. She was born in London and was educated at St Margaret's School in Aberdeen and the universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Goldsmith's, London. She is a visiting fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. She is married with a daughter, a son and three step-children.

Before her election to Parliament in 1992, Tessa Jowell had a career in psychiatric social work, social policy and public sector management. Prior to the General Election of 1997, she was the Spokesperson on Health (1997-1999 and 1994-1995); Opposition Spokesperson for Women (1995-1996); and Opposition Whip (1994-1995).

Her other ministerial appointments were Minister of State for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities at the Department for Education and Employment (1999-2001) and Minister of State for Public Health at the Department of Health (1997-1999). She became a Privy Counsellor in 1998. The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP was appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 June 2001.

M.P. for Leigh, Andy Burnham, was instrumental in acquiring the services of Tessa Jowell. He is stood to the left of the picture chatting to Tessa Jowell, Denis O'Haloran and a local newspaper reporter.