Today’s financial player of the week is Alan Johnson, Shadow Chancellor and MP for Hull West and Hessle.

Not your regular member of the political elite...

Full Name: Alan Arthur Johnson
D.O.B: 17/05/1950
Occupation: Politician, Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
Current Role: Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Status: Married
Education: Sloane Grammar School

Bio: Alan Johnson was born in Paddington, London in 1950. At the age of 12 Mr Johnsons mother died, leaving the future MP to be raised by his eldest sister in a London council flat. Having passed the 11+, Mr Johnson then attended Sloane Grammar School in Chelsea. At the age of 15 he left school and joined the public sector, first of all working at Tesco before joining the post office at 18. During his time at the post office Mr Johnson joined the Union of Communication Workers, later becoming a branch official before joining the Labour party in 1971. After a series of mergers and opportunities Mr Johnson was eventually promoted to General Secretary of the Communications Workers Union in 1993.

In the 1997 Labour landslide Mr Johnson was duly elected as the Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle. After a brief spell as a parliamentary private secretary, Mr Johnson was soon bumped to a ministerial post at the Dept. of Trade and Industry in 1999, followed by another ministerial post at the Dept. for Education and Skills.

A number of other high profile positions soon followed as Mr Johnson joined the cabinet in 2004 as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, this position was followed by a number of others, including Secretary of State for the DTI, Education and Skills, Health and finally in 2009 he was made Home Secretary. After the Labour leadership election of 2010 Mr Johnson was given the Shadow Chancellors job, despite professing to a lack of economic knowledge.