Blair Aide: James Purnell

James Purnell, who has been appointed the new Culture Secretary, is a former adviser to Tony Blair who has also worked as a senior manager for the BBC.

The 37-year-old former pensions minister was elected to Parliament in 2001 for Stalybridge and Hyde, Greater Manchester, after a career that started as a personal researcher to Mr Blair.

He later worked in No 10 as an adviser on sport in the Downing Street policy unit. He has also worked for the Institute for Public Policy Research, the think-tank close to New Labour. Mr Purnell was head of corporate planning at the BBC between 1995 and 1997.

Bright and personable, he is spoken of as a rising star of the Labour Party. He is a Blairite member of the up-and-coming group of young Labour MPs which has found favour with Mr Brown's inner circle.

In Government he was made a whip in 2004, but was rapidly promoted to junior minister in the culture department, helping drive through the contentious reform of licensing laws. He was put in charge of the delicate area of pensions reform at the Department for Work and Pensions last year.

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