Des Browne has been Secretary of State for Defence since May 2006.

In Gordon's Brown's first cabinet in June 2007, he was also appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland. Prior to his current positions, Mr Browne was Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

He has previously worked as Minister of State for Citizenship and Immigration at the Home Office.  He has also been a Minister of State for Work at the Department for Work and Pensions and also held the position of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Northern Ireland Office.

Mr Browne has been MP for Kilmarnock and Loudon since 1997 and a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the late Donald Dewar MP and Adam Ingram MP.

He is a former member of Select Committees on Northern Ireland (1997-98), Public Administration (1999) and the Joint Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights (2001). He was also a member of the Standing Committee on the International Criminal Court, and actively involved in the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

During his time in Parliament Mr Browne tabled a private members bill called the Register of Drug Trafficking Offenders to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act and establish a register of trafficking offenders. He considers the bill to be one of his proudest achievements in Parliament.

After studying at Glasgow University, Mr Browne began working as a solicitor and was called to the Scottish Bar in 1993.  Mr Browne is married and has two sons.