Lord (John) Reid of Cardowan served as a Member of Parliament for over twenty years during which time, for over a decade, he served in Government across a range of security-related portfolios, including as Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Defence, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Transport Minister and Armed Forces Minister.
At the Ministry of Defence, he presided over the Strategic Defence Review which reconfigured the Armed Forces in the post-Cold War period. As Northern Ireland Secretary he played a major role in the Peace Process and negotiated arms de-commissioning. As Home Secretary, he introduced radical internal reforms and re-focussed the Home Office towards the contemporary challenges of International Crime, Immigration and Counter-Terrorism.
As a member of the House of Lords, Lord Reid has served as a member of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, has been a member of the International Relations and Defence Committee and served as Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Homeland Security.