Minister for Sport and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appointed by PM

With the week full of Cabinet appointments we at the Alliance are sure that it wont have escaped your attention that the Prime Minister has appointed John Whittingdale MP as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Tracey Crouch to be the Minister with responsibility for Sport and Tourism.

John Whittingdale OBE has been the MP for Maldon since 1992. Prior to his election, he worked both in Whitehall and the City. In 1998 was appointed a front bench Treasury spokesman. Following this, in 1999 he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the then Leader of the Opposition, William Hague.

In July 2002 he became Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and, following a year covering the Agriculture portfolio, returned to the position in September 2004. In July 2005 he was elected Chairman of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, a position he has held since until his most recent appointment.

Tracey Crouch is the MP for Chatham and Aylesford and is, in her own words, “a keen sports enthusiast”. Since 'retiring' from playing football she has become an FA qualified football coach and has, until very recently, managed a local girl’s football team.

In 2012 Tracey was appointed as a committee member of the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee and has served as Vice Chairman of the All Party Groups for Dementia and Women in Sport.

In welcoming both to their roles Emma Boggis, Chief Executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, said, “I’ve written to send my congratulations to both the Secretary of State and the new Minister as they settle into their roles in this new government and I look forward to working closely with them in the months and years ahead.

“As we set out in our Ministers To Do List, which we published in February, the sport and recreation sector has a vital role to play in creating a wealthy, healthy and happy nation and we at the Alliance, through our relationship with the new government are passionate about helping make this vision a reality .”