Member for Wiltshire North since 1997. Committees: Chair, Horse and Pony Taxation Committee and Consultant to the British Horse Industry Confederation 1999-2002; Co-Chair, All-Party Minerals Group 1997-2001; Vice-President, Conservatives Against a Federal Europe 1997-2001; Vice-Chair, Conservative Backbench DETR Committee 1998-2000; Vice-Chair, Conservative Backbench Agricultural Committee 1997-2000; Member, DETR Select Committee 1997-2000; Member, Environment and Transport Sub-Committees 1997-2000; Honorary Secretary, All-Party Parliamentary Family Farms Group. Political career: Shadow Minister, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since 2002; Shadow Defence Minister 2001-2002; Member, Opposition Whips' Office 2000-01; Deputy Chair, Wandsworth and Tooting Conservative Association 1994-96 (previously Vice-Chair and Branch Chair); Special Advisor to John Gummer, Secretary of State, DoE 1993-95; Special Advisor to Michael Howard, Secretary of State, DoE 1992-93; Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Ross Cromarty and Skye 1992. Special political interests: The countryside, agriculture, environment, defence. Profession/Trade: Member, The Baltic Exchange since 1997, and 1978-91; Director, Westminster Strategy (Public Affairs Consultants) 1995-97; Senior Manager, GNI Ltd (Futures Brokers) 1989-92; Director, Baltic Futures Exchange 1989-91; Managing Director. Title/Honours/Decorations: Freeman, City of London. Education: The High School of Glasgow; Glasgow University, MA (Hons), (Millennium Patron); Christ Church, Oxford. Affiliations: Member, Honorary Artillery Company; Member, Avon Vale Foxhounds; Honorary Member, Rotary Club of the Wiltshire Vale; Member, Union of Country Sports Workers; President, Chippenham Branch of the MS Society; Patron, Mid-Wiltshire Dyslexia Association; President, North Wiltshire Business Association. Author of: Shipping Futures (1990); Futures and Options for Shipping (1987) (winner of Lloyds of London Book Prize); Financial Risk Management (1985). Hobbies: The countryside, riding horses, British heritage, local history, the army, China.
b. 7 November 1954. Married with three children.

2005				2001
CON GAIN	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Conservative	26,282	46.9	1.4	24,090	45.5
Lib Dem	20,979	37.4	-0.8	20,212	38.2
Labour	6,794	12.1	-2.2	7,556	14.3
UKIP	1,428	2.6	0.5	1,090	2.1
Independent	578	1.0	-	-	-
Majority	5303	9.5		3,878	7.3
Turnout	56,061	6.9	2.7	52,948	66.6