Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole since 2001. Committees: Member, Public Administration Select Committee; Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Microfinance and Microcredit; Vice-Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis; Vice-Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fireworks; Member, Liberal Democrat Beveridge Group on public service provision. Political career: Councillor for Broadstone 1986-2003; Chair of Education 1996-2000; Deputy Leader, Ruling Liberal Democrat Group 1998-2000, 1995-97; Deputy Mayor of Poole 1998-99; Mayor of Poole 1997-98; Sheriff of Poole 1996-97; Chair, Environmental Strategy Working Party 1995-97; Chair of Planning 1991-96. Special political interests: Issues relating to local constituency. Profession/Trade: Lecturer and teacher for more than 20 years until 1995; Joint owner of small family business - rocks, minerals and gemstones. Education: Romford Technical College; London School of Economics, BSc (Hons) Economics; Hughes Hall, Cambridge University, Certificate in Education. Affiliations: Campaigns for veterans of Suez conflict; against building on Commonwealth War Graves in Ypres and Somme battlefields; provision of hearing aids with RNID; for women's pensions and widow's pensions.
b. 7 June 1947. Married with two children.

2005				2001
LIB DEM HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Lib Dem	22,000	48.7	6.7	18,358	42
Conservative	16,518	36.6	-4.5	17,974	41.1
Labour	5,221	11.6	-3.9	6,765	15.5
UKIP	1,420	3.1	1.7	621	1.4
Majority	5,482	12.1		384	0.9
Turnout	45,159	68.5	2.9	43,718	65.6