Lyn Brown



Lyn Carol Brown (born 13 April 1960) has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Ham since 2005. She was a Shadow Minister at the Home Office from September 2015 to 28 June 2016.

Parliamentary career
The former minister and Labour member of parliament for West Ham constituency Tony Banks retired and Lyn Brown was selected to contest the safe Labour seat through an all-women shortlist. 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. At the 2010 election, she retained the seat with a significantly increased majority of 22,534.

In October 2013, Brown became Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government). In September 2015, she was appointed as a Shadow Home Office Minister by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

In June 2017, one day before the 2017 general election, Brown temporarily replaced Diane Abbott as Shadow Home Secretary during a period of ill health for Abbott.