Chris Bryant

In 1991 Chris began his political career as Frank Dobson’s election agent and then became the Labour Party’s Local Government Development Officer.

Following his election as Rhondda’s MP in June 2001 he has served on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of the House of Commons, as well as the Joint Committee of the Lords and Commons on Reform of the House of Lords.

Chris was re-elected as an MP (with an increased majority) in 2005 and from May 2005 to June 2006 was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton (Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs).

Chris was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal; Secretary of State for Equality and Minister for Women and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2008. He was then appointed to the Government in the post of Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. In 2009 Chris was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Minister for Europe in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. In 2010 following Labour’s defeat at the General Election Chris was made Shadow Justice Minister, with responsibility for political and constitutional reform. He was then appointed Shadow Home Office Minister with responsibility for immigration followed by a period as Shadow DWP Minister. He was later promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Culture, Media & Sport and subsequently became Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. He resigned from the Shadow Cabinet in June 2016.