Member for Staffordshire South since 1970. Committees: Member, Foreign Affairs Select Committee since 2001; Member, House of Commons Committee 2001; Treasurer, CPA 2001; Chair, History of Parliament Trust 2001 (Trustee since 1983); Chair, All-Party Bosnia Group 1992-97, and since 2001; Chair, All-Party Finnish Group since 1992; Member, Select Committee on Education and Science 1979-83; Chair, All-Party Arts and Heritage Group since 1979. Political career: Executive, 1922 Committee since 2001; Spokesperson on Constitutional Affairs 1997-2000; Deputy Shadow Leader of House 1997-2000; Parliamentary Private Secretary, Health and Social Security 1970-73. Special political interests: Foreign affairs, constitutional affairs, arts and heritage. Profession/Trade: Schoolmaster; writer. Title/Honours/Decorations: Commander Order of Lion (Finland) 1997; Knighted 1995; FSA 1978. Education: St James Choir School; Havelock School; Grimsby and Hull Universities, BA (Hons) English and History. Languages spoken: French. Author of: English Cathedrals (1984); Wilberforce: The Nation's Conscience (1983); Castles of Britain (1982); Westminster: Palace and Parliament (1981); Right Turn (1978); Heritage in Danger (1976). Affiliations: President, Staffordshire Trust since 1997; Member, General Synod of Church of England since 1995; Visiting Fellow, St Anthony's College, Oxford 1994; Council, Winston Churchill Memorial Trust 1983-93; Trustee, Historic Churches Trust since 1973; Freeman of City of London 1978. Hobbies: Reading, walking, visiting old churches, fighting philistines.
b. 18 May 1939, Grimsby, Lincolnshire. Married with two sons.

2005				2001
CON HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Conservative	13,343	52.1	1.6	21,295	50.5
Labour	4,496	17.6	-16.6	14,414	34.2
Lib Dem	3,514	13.7	1.9	4,891	11.6
UKIP	2,675	10.4	6.7	1,580	3.7
Eng Dem	643	2.5	-	-	-
Green	437	1.7	-	-	-
Freedom	434	1.7	-	-	-
Clause 28	67	0.3	-	-	-
Majority	8,847	34.5	18.2	6,881	16.3
Turnout	25,609	37.3	-23	42,180	60.3