Karen Buck’s profile
February 24th, 2009
Date of birth: 30 August 1958
Education: London School of Economics BSc, MSc, MA
Karen lives with her partner Barrie Taylor. They have one son.
Past Career
Karen worked for:
• a charity specialising in employment for disabled people
• the London Borough of Hackney in the same field
• the Labour Party Head Office as a Policy Officer specialising in health, and
• from 1992 until her election in 1997 she worked in the Labour Party’s Campaigns Unit
Current Positions
• Karen was appointed deputy Regional Minister for London in October 2008.
• She currently serves on the Home Affairs Select Committee.
• Karen chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Citizens Advice.
• Karen is serving on two commissions looking at poverty in London and tenant involvement.
• Karen served as a Minister in the Department for Transport between 2005-2006.
• Karen served on the Select Committee on Social Security, 1997 – 2001, and the Work and Pensions Select Committee, 2001 -2005. Karen was Chair of the London Labour Group.
• She served as a member of the Mayor of London’s Affordable Housing Commission.
• Karen is a Board Member of constituency SRB projects.
Special Interests: Housing, protected tenants and leasehold reform, urban regeneration, refugees and asylum-seekers, welfare, children.