Dame Tessa Jowell to stand down at next election – in pictures

Tessa Jowell stood unsuccessfully in Ilford North as a Labour candidate in both the 1978 byelection and 1979 general election, finally winning a seat in 1992 as Labour MP for Dulwich
Photograph: Jane Bown/The Observer

Jowell's first government post was as minister of state in the Department of Health, followed by minister of state in the Department of Education and Employment in 1999. She was promoted to secretary of state at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 2001, where she came up with the idea of bidding for the 2012 Olympic Games at a time her cabinet colleagues thought France would win
Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian

During her time at the DCMS, England's cricket teams won the Ashes in 2005. Photograph: Stephen Hird/Reuters

… the Labour government relaxed the UK gambling laws ... Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA

... she gave the go-ahead for the new Wembley stadium ...
Photograph: David Sillitoe/The Guardian

… and celebrated the announcement of London as host city for the 2012 Olympic Games Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Pool

In 2006 Jowell's husband, David Mills, was investigated by Italian authorities for alleged financial irregulaties for which he was eventually found not guilty following his second and final appeal in 2010. Prime minister Tony Blair gave his backing to Jowell, who was urged by Cabinet colleagues to 'tough it out' Photograph: PA/PA

Jowell was pictured with her husband, David Mills, outside their home in north London as allegations against Mills mounted Photograph: Matthew Fearn/PA

In the June 2007 Cabinet reshuffle, Jowell was replaced by James Purnell as secretary of state for culture, media and sport but kept her job as Olympics minister
Photograph: Martin Argles/The Guardian

As Olympics minister Jowell was instrumental in fundraising initiatives for London 2012, such as the National Lottery scratchcard called Win Gold
Photograph: Martin Argles/The Guardian

After the 2010 general election, Jowell remained on the Olympics organising committee even though she was no longer a government minister following Labour's defeat at the polls Photograph: Sang Tan/AP

Jowell's legacy at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was her vision of bringing the Olympics to London in 2012
Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian