Michael O'Brien KC (born 19 June 1954) is a British lawyer and former Labour Party politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for North Warwickshire from 1992 to 2010, serving in a number of ministerial posts.

From 1987 to 1992, he practised as a solicitor specialising in criminal law, including cases of murder and City fraud, and acted for a major defendant in the Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery.

He served on the Home Affairs Select Committee from November 1992 to May 1993 focusing on reports on Youth Justice and the defence of provocation in murder cases involving a spouse.

One of the strongest recommendations of the report was: "The first priority for government action on domestic violence should be the establishment of a central, co-ordinated policy for refuge provision throughout the country.

[12][13] O'Brien subsequently transferred to the Treasury Select Committee where he worked on a report into the collapse of Barings Bank and other reports on City Fraud and Independence of the Bank of England[14] He clashed with Sir Robin Butler when the Treasury Select Committee investigated the impartiality of the civil service.

"[15] Mike O'Brien raised concerns in Parliament after the Matrix Churchill manufacturing plant in Coventry closed, calling on the government to "ensure that those workers and their families are compensated for the loss of their livelihood".

[17] In the May 2010 general election, O'Brien lost his North Warwickshire constituency to Dan Byles, the Conservative Party candidate by 54 votes.

"[19] O'Brien described to a colleague the chaos he discovered in the department on being appointed as Immigration Minister: "Once, on a visit to IND, he opened a cupboard and found it full of unanswered mail, having just been assured there were no more outstanding letters.

[20] In October 1997, after consulting with lawyers from Stonewall, Mike O'Brien announced a change in UK immigration law allowing citizens to sponsor unmarried partners in 1997, including same-sex couples in this group.

[27] O'Brien's time as Minister of State for Immigration saw him deal with the late 1990s administrative problems including delays in officials giving clearance to NHS doctors[28] and backlogs in processing applications for passports.

[31] Responding to a debate on forced marriage on 10 February 1999, Mike O'Brien told MPs that "…multicultural sensitivity is no excuse for official silence or moral blindness.

Speaking at the close of the committee stage of the bill, O'Brien said the law had, "been governed by the terms of the European Court of Human Rights judgment in the case of Chahal.

[37] At a ministerial meeting, O'Brien joined Chris Mullin in warning the Prime Minister that his education reforms were "hectoring" teachers.

[39] In July 2000, Mike O'Brien became a "have a go hero" after he intercepted an alleged shoplifter being chased by a security guard, by sticking his leg out to trip him up as he ran past.

[45] In the run up to the Iraq War, he addressed parliament stating the Government's position, saying: "The body of evidence that Saddam Hussein possesses a fearsome range of weapons of mass destruction is substantial.

The evidence comes from the UN reports, from Dr Blix, from our own intelligence and indeed from Saddam Hussein himself, who last night, oddly, admitted that the Iraqis had found a biological bomb and wanted to show us.

Let us be clear: Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction and he is a threat to his people, his neighbours and ultimately the middle east and the wider world.

That is why its resolution 1441 gave Saddam Hussein a final opportunity to comply with a string of legally binding obligations imposed on him over the past 12 years.

Before adding "If we have to undertake military action and American and British troops are committed and have to go into Baghdad, I suspect that the Iraqi people will be the first to cheer.

[48] In May 2003, Chris Mullin says Mike O'Brien intended to resign as a Foreign Office Minister over Iraq, "Because I don't believe what I am being asked to say about the existence of weapons of mass destruction.

We took the view that it would produce beneficial results… it was a calculated risk… are MI6 people did a tremendous job and the foreign office deserves a lot of credit… The Americans were absolutely stunned by this.

"[52] Concerned by the abuse of human rights by the military leadership in Myanmar/Burma, O'Brien successfully ran a campaign to get British American Tobacco to withdraw its investments.

Mike O'Brien had worked closely with the UK Jewish community to set up the first Holocaust Memorial Day in January 2001 and later in June 2005 he was asked to lead the British delegation to the OSCE Cordoba Conference on Anti-Semitism.

Speaking at the conference he recalled, "As Race Equality Minister I helped introduce national Holocaust Memorial Day each year which demonstrates our commitment to eternal vigilance against the rise of intolerance."

He took through Parliament two Energy Acts making reforms to take account of the Climate Change debate and to enable the building of new nuclear power stations.

[60] Mike O'Brien introduced priority NHS treatment for former service personnel injured in the line of duty and negotiated a settlement of compensation for the victims of thalidomide.

[62][63] In June 2019, O'Brien unsuccessfully sought nomination as the Labour candidate in the 2020 election for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

There were four candidates on the Labour shortlist: himself, former Lord Mayor and Deputy West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Yvonne Mosquito, a specialist housing and anti-social behaviour law solicitor Simon Foster, and a former assistant chief executive at Sandwell Council Melanie Dudley.