About Barry Gardiner
Barry served as Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade and Shadow Minister for International Climate Change from 2016 to 2020 after being first elected to parliament in 1997. Today people in Brent West know Barry as one of our most effective politicians. He gets things done locally and pioneers changes to our laws in the House of Commons.
During Barry’s time in office he has significantly improved education, welfare, housing and the local economy in Brent West. Over the last 28 years, Barry has helped the residents of Brent West:
Deliver free nursery places for all three and four year olds
Build Wembley Primary School, and the Jewish Free School
Secure £80million pounds for the complete rebuild of Alperton Community School and Copland School.
Rebuild Wembley Park and Wembley Central stations
Rejuvenate the economy of Wembley High Road.
Taken up over 30,000 cases for constituents.
Led the successful campaign to stop fire and rehire
Barry in Westminster
Barry was Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade and Shadow Minister for International Climate Change. He loyally served in this role since 2016 until 2020 . Barry was first appointed to Labour’s shadow cabinet in June 2016, leading on energy and climate change. With changes in government departments after the vote to leave the European Union, he was appointed the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, Europe, Energy and Climate Change in July 2016.
In government, Barry served as a minister three departments: heading up Education, Employment and Trade in the Northern Ireland Office; responsible for Delivery and Efficiency at Trade & Industry; and as the world’s first Minister for Biodiversity in the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. He served as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Forestry between 2007 and 2008
Barry has always been very active in parliament, serving on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, the Public Accounts Select Committee and on the Broadcasting and Procedure Select Committees. He has stood on the Finance Standing Committee and scrutinised the budget for three years in a row and played a significant role in scrutinising the Energy Bill through his membership of the Energy Bill Committee.
Barry also founded and was the long-time Chair of Labour Friends of India for which he was awarded the Padma Shri.
Barry has been the International Chair of the Global legislators Organisation (GLOBE) and is a Director of the Climate Parliament
Barry currently serves as a Member of two select committees: The Environmental Audit Select Committee, and The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee. He also chairs the All Party Group for Nature and the All Party Group for International Conservation.
