After being elected to the UK Parliament as the MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun in 1997, Des Browne made his name with strong speeches particularly on Human Rights, Northern Ireland and Social Security.
He was asked by Donald Dewar, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, to become his Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) in 1998. He helped Donald pilot the Scotland Act through Parliament. After service on the Public Administration Select Committee, Northern Ireland Minister, Adam Ingram asked him to become his PPS in 2000. He was then elected to the first Joint Committee on Human Rights as the only Scottish Labour backbencher, a position he held until the election of 2001.
Having been returned to Westminster in 2001, Des was asked by the Prime Minister to become the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. He became responsible for a number of issues, including victims and cross border issues. Following the suspension of Stormont, he also took up responsibility for the Health Service, and Social Security. In June 2003, after two years in the Northern Ireland Office, the Prime Minister promoted him to the post of Minister for Work at the Department for Work and Pensions. Then after only nine months in that post, he was called on to take on the sensitive and key role of Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Home Office.
Des was again returned as the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun in May 2005 and in the reshuffle which followed the election was promoted to the cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Together with other duties, in this new role, Des had responsibility for public expenditure. He was also appointed to the Privy Council, one of the oldest parts of Government. Des was then promoted to be Secretary of State for Defence between May 2006 and October 2008. In this post he was the Cabinet Minister charged with making and executing Defence policy, and with providing the means by which it is executed, the Armed Forces.
He was also Secretary of State for Scotland between June 2007 and October 2008. As Secretary of State for Scotland he represented the interests of Scotland in Cabinet, particularly in those matters reserved to the Government by the Scotland Act. Since February 2009 Des has been the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Sri Lanka.
Mr Browne's paper: Emerging security issues in a new world order, within the zone and beyond.