Editing Stephen Timms (section)

==Parliamentary career==
At the [[1994 Newham North East by-election]], Timms was elected to Parliament as MP for [[Newham North East]] with 75% of the vote and a majority of 11,838.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/2076/election-history}}</ref>

Prior to the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]], Timms' constituency of Newham North East was abolished, and replaced with [[East Ham (UK Parliament constituency)|East Ham]]. At the election, Timms was elected to Parliament as MP for East Ham with 64.6% of the vote and a majority of 19,358.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election 1997 Results – Election Polling |url=https://www.electionpolling.co.uk/results/1997 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=www.electionpolling.co.uk}}</ref>

Timms served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to [[Andrew Smith (British politician)|Andrew Smith]] from May 1997 to March 1998, and later to [[Mo Mowlam]] from March to July 1998.<ref name="Parliament-career">{{cite web |title=Sir Stephen Timms |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/163/career |website=UK Parliament |access-date=29 May 2024}}</ref>

In 1998, Timms was appointed [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State]] at the Department of Social Security, rising to Minister of State in that department in 1999.<ref name="Parliament-career" />

At the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]], Timms was re-elected as MP for East Ham with an increased vote share of 73.1% and an increased majority of 21,032.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC NEWS {{!}} VOTE 2001 {{!}} RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES {{!}} East Ham |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/219.stm |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> He was again re-elected at the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 general election]], with a decreased vote share of 53.9% and a decreased majority of 13,155.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2005 – 2005 General Election – East Ham |url=https://webtest.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/24642 |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=webtest.parliament.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In May 2006, Timms was promoted to the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] as [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]], a post in which he remained until 28 June 2007, when he was removed from the cabinet by new prime minister [[Gordon Brown]].<ref name="telegraph1" /> It was later announced that he had been appointed [[Minister of State for Competitiveness]] at the newly created [[Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform]].

Following a government reshuffle on 24 January 2008, Timms moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, and became Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dwp.gov.uk/aboutus/ministers/stimms.asp |title= Department for Work and Pensions – Stephen Timms official profile|access-date=14 May 2010|publisher= [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |archive-url= http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080727005118/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/aboutus/ministers/stimms.asp/ |archive-date= 27 July 2008}}</ref> On 3 October 2008, Timms returned to his former role as Financial Secretary to the Treasury.<ref name="telegraph1"/>

In August 2009, Timms was given additional responsibility for [[Digital Britain]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8187884.stm Timms to lead 'Digital Britain'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320150014/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8187884.stm |date=20 March 2022 }}, BBC News, 6 August 2009</ref> In September 2009, he announced plans for a tax of £6 per year to be levied on each phone account in the UK. At the time, this was characterised as a [[stealth tax]] in the media. In April 2010, Timms' department made an embarrassing slip when a letter purporting to be from him mistakenly identified [[IP address]] as "[[intellectual property]] address".<ref>[http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/995688/Minister-Digital-Britain-blunders-embarrassing-IP-slip-up/ Minister for Digital Britain blunders in embarrassing 'IP' slip-up] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412202810/http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/995688/Minister-Digital-Britain-blunders-embarrassing-IP-slip-up/ |date=12 April 2010 }}, ''MediaWeek'', 9 April 2010</ref> According to the accountants' magazine ''[[Accountancy Age]]'', he was highly regarded by finance professionals despite such gaffes.<ref>[http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/news/2263017/accountants-storm-treasury Accountants storm the Treasury] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100517055008/http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/news/2263017/accountants-storm-treasury |date=17 May 2010 }}, ''Accountancy Age'', 14 May 2010</ref>

At the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], Timms was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 70.4% and an increased majority of 27,826.<ref>[http://www.newham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4BC0D348-BFED-45FF-B3A4-44D2C7201901/0/StatementofpersonsnominatedEastHamconstituency.pdf Statement of Persons Nominated] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928031742/http://www.newham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4BC0D348-BFED-45FF-B3A4-44D2C7201901/0/StatementofpersonsnominatedEastHamconstituency.pdf|date=2011-09-28}}, Newham Council</ref>

In February 2013 Timms abstained on the second reading of the [[Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Owen |date=11 June 2012 |title=Labour's U-turn on equal marriage: why is equality for minority groups a matter of conscience? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/labours-uturn-on-equal-marriage-why-is-equality-for-minority-groups-a-matter-of-conscience-8405578.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402203902/http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/labours-uturn-on-equal-marriage-why-is-equality-for-minority-groups-a-matter-of-conscience-8405578.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=29 March 2015 |website=Independent}}</ref><ref name="Edwards 2013">{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=Peter |title=How will each Labour MP vote on Equal Marriage? |website=LabourList |date=5 February 2013 |url=http://labourlist.org/2013/02/how-will-each-labour-mp-vote-on-equal-marriage/ |access-date=16 June 2016 |archive-date=8 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808093427/http://labourlist.org/2013/02/how-will-each-labour-mp-vote-on-equal-marriage/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Sparrow 2013">{{cite web |last=Sparrow |first=Andrew |title=MPs vote in favour of gay marriage: Politics live blog |website=The Guardian |date=6 February 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2013/feb/05/gay-marriage-debate-politics-live-blog |access-date=16 June 2016 |archive-date=5 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505002507/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2013/feb/05/gay-marriage-debate-politics-live-blog |url-status=live }}</ref> Subsequently, in May 2013 he voted against the bill's third and final reading, opposing the legalisation of same-sex marriage within England and Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Public Whip — Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill — Third Reading – 21 May 2013 at 18:59 |url=https://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2013-05-21&number=11&display=allpossible&sort=vote |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=www.publicwhip.org.uk}}</ref>

Timms was again re-elected at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] with an increased vote share of 77.6% and an increased majority of 34,252.<ref name="electoralcalculus">{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=[[Electoral Calculus]]}}</ref>

Following the [[2015 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|2015 Labour leadership election]], he was offered a junior shadow [[HM Treasury|Treasury]] position by new leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] but chose to turn it down and return to the backbenches.<ref>{{cite news|last=Murphy-Bates|first=Sebastian|date=16 September 2015|title=Stephen Timms rejects treasury job in Corbyn's Labour|work=Newhaw Recorder|url=http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/home/stephen_timms_rejects_treasury_job_in_corbyn_s_labour_1_4235265|url-status=dead|access-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614003933/http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/home/stephen-timms-rejects-treasury-job-in-corbyn-s-labour-1-4235265|archive-date=14 June 2018}}</ref>

Timms supported [[Owen Smith]] in the failed attempt to replace [[Jeremy Corbyn]] in the [[2016 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|2016 Labour leadership election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mps-nominating-owen-smith-labour-8451186|title=Which MPs are nominating Owen Smith in the Labour leadership contest?|last1=Smith|first1=Mikey|date=20 July 2016|work=Mirror|access-date=10 November 2018|last2=Bloom|first2=Dan|archive-date=16 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716082001/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mps-nominating-owen-smith-labour-8451186|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the snap [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]], Timms was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 83.2% and an increased majority of 39,883.<ref>{{cite news |title=East Ham parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000679 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716053102/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000679 |archive-date=2018-07-16 |access-date=2018-06-22 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=29 January 2019 |orig-date=7 April 2018 |title=Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112183438/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf |archive-date=12 November 2019 |publisher=[[House of Commons Library]] |edition=Second}}</ref> He was again re-elected at the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]], with a decreased vote share of 76.3% and a decreased majority of 33,176.<ref name="Statement of persons nominated">https://www.newham.gov.uk/Documents/Council%20and%20Democracy/StatementOfPersonsNominatedAndNoticeOfPollEastHam.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

In April 2021, Timms praised the work of the controversial Jesus House Church on [[Twitter]].<ref>{{Cite tweet |author=Stephen Timms |user=stephenctimms |number= 1379425681004756994 |title= I applaud the extraordinary work of @jesushouseuk, and of churches and other faith groups, in supporting our communities throughout the past year}}</ref> His tweet came after an official apology from Labour leader [[Keir Starmer]], who had admitted it had been a "mistake" to film a promotional video at the church when it had come to light that the pastor of the church, Agu Irukwu, had previously opposed same sex marriage and equality legislation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-worshipping-pastor-agu-irukwu-campaigned-against-gay-equality-jesus-house-a7763996.html|title=Theresa May 'worships' with pastor who campaigned against gay equality and same-sex marriage|last1=Worley|first1=Will|date=30 May 2017|work=Independent|access-date=7 April 2021|archive-date=3 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403135354/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-worshipping-pastor-agu-irukwu-campaigned-against-gay-equality-jesus-house-a7763996.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Osbourne |first1=Samuel |date=5 April 2021 |title=Keir Starmer apologises for visiting church where pastor opposed gay rights |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-church-jesus-house-gay-b1827089.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406221846/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-church-jesus-house-gay-b1827089.html |archive-date=6 April 2021 |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=Independent}}</ref> [[LGBT+ Labour]] said they were "disappointed" to see Timms' tweet so soon after Starmer's apology, after Timms was criticised for supporting the "anti-LGBTQ+" church.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/04/06/jesus-house-labour-mp-stephen-timms-applauds-keir-starmer-homophobic-church/|title=Labour MP Stephen Timms 'applauds' notoriously homophobic church Jesus House despite Keir Starmer apology|last1=Baska|first1=Maggie|date=6 April 2017|work=Independent|access-date=7 April 2021|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406172706/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/04/06/jesus-house-labour-mp-stephen-timms-applauds-keir-starmer-homophobic-church/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 23 August 2021, Prime Minister [[Boris Johnson]] appointed Timms as the UK's [[Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy|trade envoy to Switzerland and Liechtenstein]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-announces-new-trade-envoys-to-boost-british-business-around-the-world|title=PM announces new Trade Envoys to boost British business around the world|website=GOV.UK|date=23 August 2021|access-date=23 August 2021|archive-date=23 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823071605/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-announces-new-trade-envoys-to-boost-british-business-around-the-world|url-status=live}}</ref>

Timms was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the [[2022 Birthday Honours]] for political and public service.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63714|supp=y|page=B2|date=1 June 2022}}</ref>

At the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], Timms was again re-elected with a decreased vote share of 51.6% and a decreased majority of 12,863.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 July 2024 |title=Election Results 2024 |url=https://www.newham.gov.uk/council/general-election-results-2024 |access-date=10 July 2024 |publisher=London Borough of Newham}}</ref>