Member for Skipton and Ripon since 1987. Committees: Chair, Agricultural Select Committee. Political career: Shadow Minister, Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods Jun-Nov 1997; Minister of State for Local Government Housing and Urban Regeneration 1994-97; Minister of State for Local Government and Planning 1993-94; Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1992-93; Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1989-92; MEP for Essex, North East 1979-80; Parliamentary Candidate for Morpeth 1974. Special political interests: EU. Profession/Trade: Journalist. Education: Ripon Grammar School; Corpus Christi College, Oxford; Harvard University.
b. 13 June 1944. Married with three children.

2005				2001
CON HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Conservative	25,100	49.7	-2.7	25,736	52.4
Lib Dem	13,480	26.7	0.6	12,806	26.1
Labour	9,393	18.6	1.2	8,543	17.4
UKIP	2,274	4.5	0.4	2,041	4.2
Virtue Currency	274	0.5	-	-	-
Majority	11,620	23.0		12,930	26.3
Turnout	50,521	66.1	0.8	49,126	65.3