Melanie Johnson

Melanie Johnson
Born	Melanie Jane Johnson 5 February 1955 Ipswich, UK
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University College London, King's College (Cambridge)
Children	3
Party	Labour
Left her post as UK Minister for Public Health in May 2005, and in March 2006 joined the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.  UK/Minister of State/Public Health In office 13 June 2003 - 10 May 2005  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Competition and Consumer Affairs In office 8 June 2001 - 13 June 2003  Economic Secretary to the Treasury  In office 17 May 1999 - 8 June 2001 Preceded by Patricia Hewitt Succeeded by Ruth Kelly  Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield In office 1 May 1997 - 5 May 2005 Preceded by Michael Bates, Alexander Carlile, Lord Carlile, Paul Channon, Winston Churchill II, Tristan Garel-Jones, Charles Hendry, Alan Howarth, David Howell, Douglas Hurd, Greville Janner, Peter Luff, Nicholas Lyell, Liz Lynne, Michael Portillo, Nicholas Soames, David Steel Succeeded by Susan KramerDanny Alexander, Dave Anderson, Brian Binley, Katy Clark, Robert Goodwill, Nia Griffith, Andrew Gwynne, Greg Hands, John Hemming, Meg Hillier, Adam Holloway, Nick Hurd, David Jones, David Mundell, Mike Penning, John Penrose, Malcolm Rifkind, Ed Vaizey, Theresa Villiers, Charles Walker

Melanie Jane Johnson is former Labour MP, and Public Health Minister from 2003 to 2005, before joining the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry in March 2006.

Career

From 1999 to 2005 Johnson was a junior minister serving first as Economic Secretary to the Treasury, next in the DTI as Minister for Competition and Consumers, and finally as Minister for Public Health in the Department of Health. Johnson was also responsible for the White Paper Building Trust in Statistics

As Economic Secretary she supported the EU action against money laundering stating "Money laundering is a very serious offence, with the capacity to undermine financial markets and to corrupt professional advisers" Following the 2000 Budget Johnson, whilst speaking to NPI Conference, commented "in the Budget three weeks ago now, this Government took the next steps towards our ambition for a Britain of opportunity and security not just for a few but for all, with prosperity reaching the people and places the economy has too long forgotten.". Journalist Benedict Brogan likened the delivery of her speeches to "the read-your-weight manner of a supermarket Tannoy" describing them as tedious and accusing her of just repeating "the mantra that had been programmed into her".

She was a proponent of fluoridation of public water supplies.

She left Parliament on 11 April 2005.

After Parliament

Johnson left her post as Minister for Public Health in May 2005, and in March 2006 joined the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments ruled that she could 'Take up [the appointment] forthwith but, for 12 months after leaving office, she should not be personally involved in lobbying Government Ministers or officials'

Affiliations

• Adviser, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (http://www.abpi.org.uk/) - drug trade body

Resources

• BBC, "Health Minister loses Herts seat," 06 May 2005, accessed 26 November 2008.
• Martin, Daniel, "Cashing in: The ex-ministers who have gone private," Daily Mail, 24 February 2008, accessed 26 November 2008.
• The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, Ninth Report 2006-2008, accessed 27 November 2008.
• They Work For You, Melanie Johnson, former MP, accessed 26 November 2008.
• Ungoed-Thomas, Jon, et al., "Revealed: how minister cashed in on contacts," The Sunday Times, 23 November 2008, accessed 24 November 2008.

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