Paul Boateng
Minister of State & Deputy Home Secretary
Paul Boateng MP was appointed Minister of State for Home Affairs on 28 October 1998. He was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for social care and mental health issues.
He joined Parliament as Member for Brent South in 1987. His career in Opposition included stints as spokesman for the Treasury and Economic Affairs 1989-92 and the Lord Chancellors Department 1992-97. He also served on the Select Committee for Environment 1987-89.
He is married and has two sons and three daughters.
Dr Vincent Cable
MP for Twickenham
The Liberal Democrats spokesman for Trade and Industry, he is a former chief economist for Shell International and Head of Economics at the RIIA (Chatham House). He has also been a special adviser to both Commonwealth secretary-general Sonny Ramphal and John Smith MP.
He has worked extensively in India and Latin America and is a regular broadcaster, columnist and author, most recently, of 'Global Superhighways', an in-depth study of international telecommunications.
He is married with three children.
James Cornford
Chairman, School for Social Entrepreneurs
Special Adviser to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Office of Public Service, the Cabinet Office.
James is the SSE's Chairman. He has many years experience as Director of grant-making trusts (Paul Hamlyn Foundation; Nuffield Foundation) and think-tanks (IPPR; Outer Circle Policy Unit).
Immediately prior to working for SSE he was Special Adviser to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the Cabinet Office, working on Freedom of Information.
Patrick Law
Head of Public Affairs, Centrica
Patrick Law is Head of Public Affairs at Centrica, the home and roadside services company which trades as British Gas, the AA and Goldfish. He is responsible for developing and communicating the company's views on public policy issues that affect the company, and managing its reputation with Westminster, Whitehall and the European Commission.
Patrick also has responsibility for Centrica's community investment programme of £2 million per year. This includes the ground- breaking work between British Gas and Help the Aged in combating fuel poverty - one of the largest corporate/charity partnerships in the UK. Already the partnership has helped around 300,000 vulnerable older people. Centrica's community investment programme also includes the Schoolenergy Programme which has, to date, led to the insulation of more than 1000 schools and work with carers.
Patrick has four young children and lives in Greenwich.
Andrew Mawson
Co-director, Community Action Network
Andrew Mawson OBE , co-director of CAN, has responsibility for developing the network of ten Community Action Centres across the UK and for developing partnerships with the business community.
Andrew set up the Bromley by Bow Centre in the East End of London 15 years ago. This project has opened the first Healthy Living Centre to be owned by the community.
Spencer Neal
Publisher, New Statesman magazine
Spencer Neal, publisher of the New Statesman has managed Britian's premier current-affairs weekly since May 1997. He has been responsible for for many of the publication's partnerships and is especially interested in opportunities that challenge social exclusion.
Spencer lives in Hackney, north London with his partner and their two young children.
David Willetts
MP for Havant, Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security
Mr Willetts was Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty`s Treasury, Government Whip July 1995 until November 1995 when he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Office of Public Service. From June 1996 until December 1996 he was Paymaster General.
In June 1997 he was appointed Opposition Front Bench Spokesman on Employment, a position he held until the June 1998 reshuffle, when he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment. In June 1999 Mr. Willetts was promoted to Shadow Secretary of state for Social Security.
He is married with a son and daughter.
