Charles Clarke read mathematics and economics at Kings College Cambridge. He is Visiting Professor at the University of Lancaster. Since 2007 he has had a consultancy with DACB.
He was President of the National Union of Students and then a Hackney borough councillor before working as Chief of Staff for Neil Kinnock, Leader of the Labour Party.
He was Labour MP for Norwich South from 1997 to 2010. In 1998 he joined the government, joining the Cabinet in 2001 as Labour Party Chair, then Secretary of State for Education and Skills and Home Secretary until 2006.
He has been chairman of Endsleigh Insurance. As MP he had good relations with Aviva, one of the city’s biggest employers. He was a member of the Treasury Select Committee from 1997-8.