Paul Goggins has been MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East since May 1997. He was born in Manchester in 1953 and was a pupil at St Bede’s College, before going on to train as a social worker.He worked in social work for 15 years, much of it with young offenders and their families.

Between 1984-89, he worked for NCH as a director of a community-based alternative to custody for juvenile offenders. Prior to his election he was the director of Church Action on Poverty, a national church-based campaigning organisation. He was also a councillor in Salford (1990-1998).

Mr Goggins was a member of the House of Commons Social Security Select Committee until October 1998 when he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to John Denham, then the Minister of State at the Department of Social Security. He moved with Mr Denham to the Department of Health in January 1999.

In December 2000 he was appointed PPS to David Blunkett, Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Employment and moved with Mr Blunkett to the Home Office in June 2001.

Paul is the co-founder of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of CAFOD group and is Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty. Paul is married with three teenage children and is a season ticket holder at Manchester City Football Club.