Doug Henderson has been Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North since 1987.

He was Adviser to the Machine Tools Technologies Association 1992–1997 and Managing Director of Ossian Economic Services Ltd, an export consultancy, in the same period. More recently he was Minister of State for the Armed Forces during the Kosovan War and Minister for Europe 1997-8.

He has also been Opposition Spokesman on Trade & Industry, Local Government & Home Affairs.