Estelle Morris (Commission Chair)

Estelle Morris started her career as a teacher in Coventry in 1974. She was elected as a member of Warwick District Council in 1979 and led the Labour Group for seven years.

In 1992 Estelle was elected as MP for Birmingham Yardley; in 1997 she became Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Department for Education and Employment and in 1998 she became the Minister for School Standards.

In 2001 Estelle was appointed to the post of Secretary of State for the Department for Education and Skills. She resigned from this post in 2002 but returned to the front bench eight months later as Minister in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. She was appointed to the House of Lords after the May 2005 election.

Estelle has been working in the North East since 2005.  She is Pro Vice-Chancellor of Sunderland University, Chair of the 14-19 Commission, serves as Deputy Chair of ippr north and also chairs the Education Leadership Board for Sunderland schools.