Old boy resigns from Blair's government.

Former Woodroffe student John Denham M.P. resigned from Tony Blair's government over Gulf war.

The Right Honourable John Denham MP was appointed Minister of State for the Home Office on 11 June 2001 but resigned in April 2003 because of his opposition to the Gulf war. He was elected to Parliament in April 1992 as Member for Southampton Itchen. He was Head of Youth Affairs at the British Council from 1979 until 1983, and was responsible for public education and advocacy for War on Want from 1984 to 1988. He subsequently worked for Christian Aid, Oxfam and other development agencies.

He was a Hampshire County Councillor from 1981 until 1989, where he was spokesman on Education. From 1989 until 1993 he served as a Southampton City Councillor and as Chair of its Housing Committee.

John Denham was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security in May 1997 and was made Minister of State at the DSS in July 1998. He then served as Minister of State for Health from December 1998 until his new appointment.He was born in 1953 and educated at Woodroffe Comprehensive School, Lyme Regis and Southampton University, where he became president of the Students' Union. In June 2000 he was appointed by the Queen as a Privy Counsellor.