Editing Caroline Flint (section)

=== Junior Minister and Minister (2003–2008) ===
She entered government as a junior minister in June 2003, as a [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs]]. During her tenure at the [[Home Office]], Flint reclassified [[magic mushrooms]] as a [[Class A drug]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Drugs Bill |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmbills/017/2005017.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=12 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204090939/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmbills/017/2005017.pdf |archive-date=4 December 2012}}</ref> She pushed through the bill despite some concerns from Parliamentary colleagues.<ref>{{cite news |last=Honigsbaum |first=Mark |date=16 April 2005 |title=Peers and MPs join furore over 'rushed' ban on magic mushrooms |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/apr/16/drugsandalcohol.immigrationpolicy |url-status=live |access-date=12 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517182111/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/apr/16/drugsandalcohol.immigrationpolicy |archive-date=17 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=18 July 2005 |title=Magic mushrooms ban becomes law |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4691899.stm |url-status=live |access-date=12 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121625/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4691899.stm |archive-date=17 May 2014}}.</ref>

Flint was moved to the [[Public health]] portfolio at the [[Department of Health and Social Care|Department of Health]] in May 2005, initially as a [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State]] and as a [[Minister of State]] from May 2006.<ref name="dlprofile" /> As a health minister, she was responsible for government programmes such as the prevention of communicable diseases and [[sex education]]. She oversaw campaigns to tackle issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

In the [[2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election|2007 deputy Labour leadership election]], Flint was the campaign manager for cabinet minister [[Hazel Blears]]. Her bid was unsuccessful, and she finished sixth-place in the election.

After [[Gordon Brown]] became Prime Minister, Flint moved to the [[Department for Work and Pensions]] as [[Department for Work and Pensions|Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform]].<ref name="dlprofile" /> She was also appointed to one of the new regional ministerial roles, as Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber.<ref name="dlprofile" />