Local politics (1983–1992) Hanson was elected as a councillor to the
Vale Royal Borough Council in 1983, serving as the Labour group and council leader from 1989 until 1991, when he stood down to stand in
Delyn at the
1992 general election. He was also elected as a councillor to the
Northwich Town Council in 1987 and also led the Labour group there in 1989 for a year, leaving the Town Council in 1991. He unsuccessfully contested
Eddisbury at the
1983 general election where he was defeated by the sitting
Conservative MP
Alastair Goodlad by 14,846 votes. In 1984 he contested the West
Cheshire seat for the
European Parliament but was again unsuccessful. He contested
Delyn in
Wales at the
1987 general election but was defeated by the Tory
Keith Raffan by 1,224 votes.
Member of Parliament (1992–2019) First steps (1992–1997) It proved third time lucky for Hanson when he was elected to the
House of Commons at the
1992 general election when, following Raffan's retirement, he won the
Clwyd seat at Delyn by 2,039. He made his
maiden speech on 6 May 1992. in 2013 In the Commons he was a member of the
Welsh affairs select committee from 1992 until he joined the public accounts committee in 1996.
Blair and Brown years (1997–2010) Hanson became the
Parliamentary Private Secretary PPS to the
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Alistair Darling in 1997. Hanson became a member of the
Tony Blair government in the latter's first reshuffle in 1998 when he was appointed as an
Assistant Government Whip. He was promoted in 1999 on his appointment as the
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the
Wales Office. Following the
2001 general election he became the
PPS to
Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hanson served as the
Minister of State at the
Northern Ireland Office from the
2005 general election until 8 May 2007, when the
Northern Ireland Assembly was restored after its period of suspension. On 21 February 2007, his appointment to the
Privy Council was announced. Blair appointed Hanson to
Minister of State at the new
Ministry of Justice from 9 May 2007; he remained in that position until 8 June 2009. It was during this time that Hanson introduced the offence to the
Public Order Act 1986 Part 3A section 29AB: To stir up hatred on the grounds of
sexual orientation, in the
Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
Gordon Brown appointed Hanson as
Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing at the
Home Office from 8 June 2009, until the loss of the
2010 general election exited Labour from government.
Out of government (2010–2019) Hanson then shadowed his last role in government, and after the
Labour leadership election was appointed Shadow Treasury Minister. In September 2011 he contributed to the book
What Next for Labour? Ideas for a new Generation, with a piece entitled "What Awaits Labour in 2015?" Hanson lost his seat in the
2019 general election to
Rob Roberts, the
Conservative Party candidate. He was
knighted in the
2020 Birthday Honours for political service.
Life Peerage (2024–present) On 9 July 2024, Hanson was appointed as a
minister of state in the
Home Office by Prime Minister
Sir Keir Starmer. Hanson was nominated for a
life peerage and was created
Baron Hanson of Flint, of Flint in the County of Flintshire, on 19 July. He was
introduced to the House of Lords on 23 July. == Personal life ==