Member for Erith and Thamesmead since 1997.
Committees: Member, Health Select Committee since 1994;
Chair, British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union; Executive Member, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association; Joint Chair, All-Party Osteoporosis Group; Chair, All-Party Group for Euro-Arab Co-operation; Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Groups for Albania, Slovenia, Syria, Ethiopia; Secretary, All-Party Parliamentary Groups for Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Lebanon; Chair, All-Party British Overseas Territories Group. Political career: Councillor, London Borough of Greenwich 1970-1994; Mayor 1988-89 and 1987-88; Vice-Chair, London Strategic Policy Unit 1985-87; Chair, London Ecology Unit 1985-87; Vice-Chair, Association of London Authorities 1983-87, Leader 1982-87, Deputy Leader 1981-82, Chair 1974-78; Vice-Chair 1971-74. Special political interests: Equalities issues; Middle East; Central and Eastern Europe; health. Profession/Trade: Community and Youth Worker. Education: Goldsmiths'' College, University of London, Certificate in Community and Youth Work; Bristol University, MSc. Affiliations: Member, Amicus/MSF; Chair, MSF Parliamentary Group 1998-2000; Member, Co-operative Party; SERA; Joint Chair, Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding; Hon Chair, British Caribbean Association; former Chair, Greenwich MIND; past Chair, Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales (ACHCEW) 1980-82; Trustee, London Marathon Charitable Trust; Trustee, Crossness Engines Trust; Trustee, Greenwich Community College Trust. Hobbies: Gardening, cooking, marathon running.
b. 21 August 1944, Blaby, Leicestershire. Divorced with three children.

2005				2001
LAB HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Labour	20,483	54.4	-4.9	19,769	59.3
Conservative	8,983	23.9	-1.9	8,602	25.8
LibDem	5,088	13.5	2.1	3,800	11.4
BNP	1,620	4.3	-	-	-
UKIP	1,477	3.9	-	-	-
Majority	11,500	30.5	-	11,167	33.5
Turnout	37,651	52.3	2.0	33,351	50.2