Before entering Parliament he had been a tutor for the Open University since 1994, as well as a public affairs adviser to English Heritage and, for twelve years, the editor of History Today and New Socialist magazine.
In May 2010, Marsden was given his first shadow ministerial brief, by acting leader Harriet Harman, as Shadow Minister for Further Education, Skills and Regional Growth.[1][2] He remained in post following Ed Miliband's election as Labour leader, but was appointed as a Shadow Minister for Transport in the October 2013 Labour frontbench reshuffle.[1]
Following Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader in September 2015, Marsden readopted his former Further Education and Skills briefs as Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Skills.[1] In his new position, he succeeded Shadow Universities Minister Liam Byrne and Shadow Further Education and Skills Minister Yvonne Fovargue.
He was Chair of the Associate Parliamentary Skills Group and of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Veterans.[citation needed]
Fabian Society
Marsden is a member of the Fabian Society, of which he was the Chair from 2000 to 2001.[4] He also served as Chair of the Young Fabians and now serves as a Trustee of Dartmouth Street, the building where the Society is based.
Seaside towns
Marsden convened the first group of Labour MPs representing seaside and coastal towns. In 2007, Marsden was asked to chair a Manifesto Group for the Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Seaside and Coastal Towns.[citation needed]
Personal life
Marsden is gay.[5] In early 2009, Gordon was named as one of the Daily Telegraph's expenses "saints", due to the low levels of his expenses claims.[6]