Purnell appointed culture and media secretary

James Purnell has been appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by the new Prime Minster, Gordon Brown.

Formerly Minister for Pensions in the Department for Work and Pensions, the 36-year-old has been the Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, on the outskirts of Manchester, since 2001.

He was a special advisor to Tony Blair between 1997 and 2001, and was previously head of corporate planning at the BBC, under John Birt.

As well being the lead politician on UK media issues and in charge of the 2012 Olympic Games, it is not yet clear whether Prime Minister Brown will appoint a separate Olympics Minister who will report to Purnell, a role which outgoing Media and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell could be asked to fill.