Liam Byrne

Liam Byrne has been the Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill since 2004. As an advisor in the 1990s, Bryne moved the Labour party into its Millbank headquarters and helped to launch the “New Labour” brand. Since entering parliament, Bryne has held a number of frontbrench roles, particularly within the home office where he has been minister of state for immigration, citizenship and nationality, immigration and asylum and borders and immigration. Bryne was chief secretary to the treasury from 2009 until 2010, when Labour lost their first election in thirteen years. Bryne is famed for leaving a note to his successor that read: “Dear Chief Secretary, I’m afraid there is no money. Kind regards – and good luck! Liam.” Intending for the note to be perceived as “typical humour”, he later admitted that he has “burnt with shame” since realising that the note would be used in a campaign against the Labour Party in the 2015 general election. Bryne was shadow minister for digial, culture, media and sport from 2017 until April 2020. Outside of parliament, he is shadow Mayor for the West Midlands and a research fellow at Nuffield College.