Minister for the Olympics and London

Tessa Jowell

Tessa Jowell was appointed Minister for the Olympics and London in June 2007. Prior to this, she was Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Ms Jowell was born in London and was educated at St Margaret's School in Aberdeen and the universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Goldsmith's, London.

She is a visiting fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

Tessa's previous ministerial appointments were Minister of State for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities at the Department for Education and Employment, and Minister of State for Public Health at the Department of Health. She became a Privy Counsellor in 1998.

Before the 1997 General Election, Tessa was the Spokesperson on Health, Opposition Spokesperson for Women and Opposition Whip.

Prior to her election to Parliament in 1992, Tessa had a career in psychiatric social work, social policy and public sector management.

She has a daughter, son and three stepchildren.