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The son of a senior civil servant, Charles Clarke read Mathematics and Economics at King's College, Cambridge where he also served as the president of the Cambridge Students' Union and from where he went on to become President of the National Union of Students in 1975. He became a local councillor in the London Borough of Hackney, acting as Chair of its Housing Committee from 1980 to 1986. He worked as a researcher, and later Chief of Staff, to Labour Party leader Neil KinnockThe Right Honourable Neil Kinnock (born March 28, 1942) is a British politician. He was the leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992, when he resigned after the general election defeat. He was succeeded by John Smith. Career Overview First elected in from 1981Events January-February January Sarawak Chamber found January 1 Greece enters the EEC January 1 Palau becomes self-governing January 4 Sheffield police arrests Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper January 16 Protestant gunmen shoot and wound Bernadette D to 19921992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday. Events January January The Internet Society is formed. January 1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General January 1 George H. Bush becomes the fi. His association with Kinnock and with the general election defeatThe general election of April 9, 1992, was the fourth victory in a row for the Conservatives. Margaret Thatcher had been forced out of office in November 1990 and John Major, poorly regarded by some, succeeded her. During his term leading up to the 1992 e in 19921992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday. Events January January The Internet Society is formed. January 1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General January 1 George H. Bush becomes the fi was expected to handicap him in his subsequent career, but he was to emerge as a high flyer.

Elected to the British House of CommonsThe House of Commons is a component of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also includes the Sovereign and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 659 members, who are known as "Members of Parliamen in the Labour landslide of 1997 , Clarke served less than a year on the back benches before joining the government as a junior education minister in JulyJuly is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days. July was renamed for Julius Caesar; previously, it was called Quintilis in Latin, since it was the fifth month in the Roman calendar which started in March. Because of its orig 19981998 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of the Ocean''. Events January January 1998 A massive ice storm, caused by El Nino, strikes New England, southern Ontario and Quebec, resulting. He moved to the Home OfficeLondon The Home Office is a United Kingdom government department, responsible for internal affairs, such as law and order throughout England and Wales. It continues to be known, especially in official papers, as in former times as the Home Department . in 1999and joined the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio and Party Chair after the 2001 general election. He returned to Education as Secretary of State on October 24, 2002 after the resignation of Estelle Morris. As Education Secretary, he has defended Oxbridge elitism, encouraged the establishment of specialist secondary schools, and (allegedly) suggested that the state should not fund "unproductive" humanities research. He has also overseen the introduction of bills to enable universities in the UK to charge top-up fees, despite a Labour manifesto commitment not to introduce such fees.