By Tony O’Riley-
East Ham MP Stephen Timms has received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Sir Stephen was awarded the honour for his political and public service.
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He was first elected to represent Newham North East in 1994, which later became East Ham.
The Labour politician also spent ten years on Newham Council before becoming an MP, including a stint as council leader.
Sir Stephen served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2006 to 2007. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for East Ham, formerly Newham North East, since 1994.
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Timms served in the New Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown under several portfolios. He served for three periods as Financial Secretary to the Treasury; from 1999 to 2001, 2004 to 2005 and 2008 to 2010. As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Timms attended Cabinet from 2006 to 2007.
In May 2010, Timms survived an attempted murder by Islamist terrorist Roshonara Choudhry who stabbed him twice in the abdomen at his constituency surgery. His attacker was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Sir Stephen said he has “particular satisfaction” with the improvement of schools in his constituency.
Sir Stephen said:I’m very pleased [with the knighthood]. I’m not sure I’m more deserving than one of my colleagues, but I’m pleased and my 93-year-old mother is pleased about it as well.
Former cabinet minister Jeremy Wright, Tory MP for Kenilworth and Southam, was also given the gong as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee birthday honours.
The timing of the announcement is awkward for the prime minister, coming only days after Mr Wright condemned Mr Johnson over Partygate and asked him to resign “for the good of this and future governments”.
Wright, the former attorney general, was recognised in the honours for his work on the thorny legal issues in the Brexit negotiations and response to the chemical attack in Syria.
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