Stephen Byers is a member of the House of Commons and was first elected to represent Wallsend in 1992 in the UK Parliament. Hon. Byers has served in a variety of roles within the Cabinet. In 1998, he was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He was later named Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He held this post until Labour?s victory in the 2001 General Election, after which he became Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. In May 2002, he resigned from this post. Since then, he has been a member of the team which drew up the Labour Party?s policy manifesto for the 2005 General Election and remains an active Member of Parliament. He is also a Member of Her Majesty the Queen?s Privy Council. During his early years in government, he was the Opposition Whip and was made Shadow Minster for Training and Employment in 1995. During Labour?s major win in the 1997 General Election, he was elected to the redistricted seat of North Tyneside, and was thereafter appointed Minister of State for School Standards. Hon. Byers was educated at Chester College of Further Education and received a law degree at Liverpool Polytechnic. Before his election to Parliament, he was law lecturer at the Newcastle Polytechnic.
