{{Short description|British politician (born 1960)}} {{Similar names}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Use British English|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable | name = The Baroness Brown of Silvertown | honorific_suffix = | office = Shadow Minister for Africa | leader = Keir Starmer | term_start = 4 December 2021 | term_end = 5 July 2024 | predecessor = Catherine West | successor = ''Vacant'' | office1 = Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation | leader1 = Keir Starmer | term_start1 = 9 April 2020 | term_end1 = 4 December 2021 | predecessor1 = Yasmin Qureshi | successor1 = Ellie Reeves | office2 = Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury | leader2 = Jeremy Corbyn | term_start2 = 12 January 2018 | term_end2 = 9 April 2020 | predecessor2 = Anneliese Dodds | successor2 = Wes Streeting | office3 = Shadow Home Secretary | status3 = Acting | leader3 = Jeremy Corbyn | term_start3 = 7 June 2017 | term_end3 = 18 June 2017 | predecessor3 = Diane Abbott | successor3 = Diane Abbott | office4 = Shadow Minister of State for Policing | leader4 = Jeremy Corbyn | term_start4 = 8 October 2016 | term_end4 = 7 June 2017 | predecessor4 = Jack Dromey | successor4 = Louise Haigh | parliament5 = UK | constituency_MP5 = West Ham | term_start5 = 5 May 2005 | term_end5 = 30 May 2024 | predecessor5 = Tony Banks | successor5 = ''Constituency abolished'' | office6 = Member of the House of Lords | status6 = Lord Temporal | term_label6 = Life peerage | term_start6 = 23 January 2025 | term_end6 = | birth_name = Lyn Carol Brown | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|4|13|df=y}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | party = Labour | spouse = John Cullen | alma_mater = University of Roehampton | website = {{URL|https://www.lynbrown.org.uk/}} }}
'''Lyn Carol Brown, Baroness Brown of Silvertown''' (born 13 April 1960), is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for West Ham from 2005 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she was a shadow minister in the Home Office from 2015 to 2016, Shadow Policing Minister from 2016 to 2017, Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 2018 to 2020, and Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation from 2020 to 2021. She served as the Shadow Minister for Africa until standing down from Parliament in 2024, and was subsequently appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer.
==Early life and career== Brown was born in London to Joseph and Iris Brown. She was educated at Drew Road Primary School, Silvertown and Plashet Comprehensive School before attending the Whitelands College, Putney (now part of Roehampton University).<ref>[http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/455/1210/7772/3/247 Debrett's People Of Today 2011]. Exacteditions.com. Retrieved on 16 July 2011.</ref> In 1984 she began work as a social worker for the London Borough of Ealing.<ref name="debretts1960">[http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/b/24237/Lyn%20Carol+BROWN.aspx Ms Lyn Brown, MP Authorised Biography – Debrett’s People of Today, Ms Lyn Brown, MP Profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908183453/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/b/24237/Lyn%20Carol+BROWN.aspx |date=8 September 2012 }}. Debretts.com (13 April 1960). Retrieved on 2011-07-16.</ref>
She was elected as a councillor to Newham London Borough Council in 1988. She unsuccessfully contested Wanstead and Woodford at the 1992 general election but was beaten by 16,885 votes by the Conservative James Arbuthnot.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/39376.stm Democracy Live | Your representatives | Lyn Brown]. BBC News. Retrieved on 16 July 2011.</ref>
==Parliamentary career== In 2005, West Ham MP Tony Banks retired and Lyn Brown was selected to contest the safe Labour seat through an all-women shortlist.<ref>{{cite news|last=Muir|first=Hugh|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/feb/23/labour.uk|title=Labour to help black candidates|work=The Guardian|date=23 January 2005|access-date=21 September 2015}}</ref> Lyn Brown became the seat's MP at the 2005 general election with a majority of 9,801 votes. She made her maiden speech on 23 May 2005.
In 2006, Brown became the parliamentary private secretary to the Communities and Local Government Minister, Phil Woolas. In July 2007 she was appointed parliamentary private secretary to John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
In June 2009 she was promoted to become an assistant government whip. She remained as a whip, in opposition, following the 2010 general election.<ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lyn-brown/39376 Lyn Brown] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228090337/http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lyn-brown/39376 |date=28 December 2010 }}. Parliament.uk (6 May 2010). Retrieved on 2011-07-16.</ref>
In June 2011, Brown was criticised by campaigners for recruiting an unpaid intern whilst also supporting "a living wage for all". Gus Baker of Intern Aware stated Brown had replaced a paid member of staff with an unpaid intern, accusing her of double hypocrisy and noting how such conduct denied opportunities to poorer people such as those from Brown's constituency. Brown stated she "would like to pay everyone" in her office, but "did not have the resources to do so".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/mp-accused-of-worker-hypocrisy-16017099.html|title=MP accused of worker 'hypocrisy'|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=28 June 2011|access-date=16 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=King|first=Victoria|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13932474|title=Living wage MP Lyn Brown criticised over unpaid job|publisher=BBC News|date=28 June 2011|access-date=16 July 2011}}</ref>
In October 2013, Brown was appointed by Ed Miliband to serve as Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lyn Brown|url=http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/lyn-carol-brown|access-date=2020-08-06|website=politics.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
In September 2015, she was appointed as a Shadow Home Office Minister by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a position from which she resigned on 28 June 2016, before subsequently supporting Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour leadership election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://labourlist.org/2016/07/which-mps-and-meps-have-nominated-owen-smith/|title=Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith|date=2016-07-21|website=LabourList|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lyn Brown - UK Parliament|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/lyn-brown/1583|access-date=7 June 2017|publisher=Parliament.uk}}</ref> In October 2016, Corbyn reappointed Brown to serve as a Shadow Minister, as Shadow Minister for Policing, during which time, Brown temporarily replaced Diane Abbott as Shadow Home Secretary during a period of ill health for Abbott.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/07/diane-abbott-to-step-aside-for-the-period-of-her-ill-health-corbyn-says|title=Diane Abbott to step aside 'for the period of her ill health', Corbyn says|work=The Guardian|date=7 June 2017|access-date=7 June 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Brown stood down at the 2024 general election,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Jacob |date=2024-05-28 |title=Three more London Labour MPs to stand down at election |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2024-london-labour-mps-standing-down-john-cryer-leyton-wansted-virendra-sharma-ealing-southall-b1160510.html |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref> and was subsequently nominated for a Labour Party life peerage by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.<ref>{{Cite press release |date=20 December 2024 |title=Political Peerages December 2024 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/political-peerages-december-2024 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street |access-date=20 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pollock |first=Laura |date=20 December 2024 |title=See the 38 new lifetime peers announced by the UK Government |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/24808667.see-new-lifetime-peers-announced-uk-government/ |work=The National |access-date=20 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241220145456/https://www.thenational.scot/news/24808667.see-new-lifetime-peers-announced-uk-government/ |archive-date=20 December 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> She was created ''Baroness Brown of Silvertown, of West Ham in the London Borough of Newham'', on 23 January 2025,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=29 January 2025 |issue=64643 |page=1494}}</ref> and was introduced to the House of Lords on 27 January.<ref>{{Cite Hansard |title=Introduction: Baroness Brown of Silvertown |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-01-27/debates/1FDA50F9-0311-4D78-A2C5-A82761B1CCE5/IntroductionBaronessBrownOfSilvertown |date=27 January 2025 |jurisdiction=Parliament of the United Kingdom |house=House of Lords |volume=843 |column=1}}</ref>
==Personal life== In May 2008 Brown married John Cullen and exercised her privilege as a member of Parliament to hold the ceremony in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/content/newham/recorder/news/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=newsNEWHAM&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsnewham&itemid=WeED30%20May%202008%2016%3A02%3A04%3A473 |title=Lyn and John's Wedding Chamber! |date=30 May 2008 |work=Newham Recorder |access-date=21 January 2010}}</ref> The ceremony was performed by fellow Labour MP and former vicar Chris Bryant.<ref>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Whistle+blown+on+footy+bid.-a0169607578 Whistle blown on footy bid. – Free Online Library]. Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved on 16 July 2011.</ref>
Until May 2009, Brown rented a central London flat using the second home allowance, despite her constituency being only 6 miles from Westminster.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23701306-west-hams-brown-gives-up-flat-she-rented-for-safetys-sake.do%3Bjsessionid=80D8EBDFD4FD8B16E5444D19827FC355 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912094729/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23701306-west-hams-brown-gives-up-flat-she-rented-for-safetys-sake.do;jsessionid=80D8EBDFD4FD8B16E5444D19827FC355 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2012 |title=West Ham's Brown gives up flat she rented 'for safety's sake' |first=Benedict |last=Moore-Bridger |date=29 May 2009 |access-date=21 January 2010 }}</ref>
Brown's hobbies include reading crime fiction and walking.<ref name="debretts1960"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.lynbrown.org.uk Lyn Brown MP] ''official constituency website'' *[https://web.archive.org/web/20180809032216/http://newhamlabour.co.uk/ Newham Labour Party] *{{UK MP links | parliament = lyn-brown/1583 | hansard = ms-lyn-brown | hansardcurr = 4752 | guardian = 8859/lyn-brown | publicwhip = Lyn_Brown | theywork = lyn_brown | record = Lyn-Brown/West-Ham/1004 | bbc = 39376.stm | journalisted = }} * {{C-SPAN}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef|before=Tony Banks}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament<br />for West Ham|years=2005–2024}} {{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Diane Abbott}} {{s-ttl|title=Shadow Home Secretary<br />{{small|Acting}}|years=2017}} {{s-aft|after=Diane Abbott}} {{s-end}}
{{Shadow Home Secretaries}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Lyn}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century English politicians Category:21st-century English women politicians Category:Alumni of the University of Roehampton Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Newham Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Category:Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors Category:Labour Party (UK) life peers Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Life peeresses created by Charles III Category:Life peers created by Charles III Category:People educated at Plashet School Category:People from Silvertown Category:Politicians from the London Borough of Newham Category:UK MPs 2005–2010 Category:UK MPs 2010–2015 Category:UK MPs 2015–2017 Category:UK MPs 2017–2019 Category:UK MPs 2019–2024 Category:UK MPs who were granted peerages Category:Women councillors in England