Member for Bolton South East since 1997. Committees: Member, Science and Technology Select Committee; Member, Labour Party Backbench Committees on Education and Employment, Environment, Transport and the Regions, and Health and Social Services; Officer of All-Party Parliamentary Groups: British-Palestine (Secretary), Drugs Mis-use (Chair), Parliamentary and Scientific Committee (Deputy Chair), Associate Parliamentary University Group (Secretary), Warm Homes (Treasurer); Member of numerous All-Party Groups. Political career: Honorary Alderman, Bolton Metropolitan Council since 1998; Member, Bolton Metropolitan District Council 1977-98; Chair, Housing Committee 1986-96; Vice-Chair, Housing 1980-82. Special political interests: Housing, science policy, education, health. Profession/Trade: Chemist. Education: Christ Church Boys Secondary School, Southport; Southport Technical College; University of Hull, BSc Chemistry, PhD Organic Chemistry, DSc. Author of: 148 assorted publications. Affiliations: numerous, including: Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry; Patron, Society of Registration Officers; Patron, Bury and Bolton Kids Club Network; Patron, Bully Free Zone, Bolton; Honorary Patron, The National Association of British Market Authorities. Hobbies: Gardening, philately, cricket.
b. 5 July 1940, Tarleton, west Lancashire. Married with four children (two stepchildren).

2005				2001
LAB HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Labour	18,129	56.9	-4.9	21,129	61.9
Conservative	6,491	20.4	-3.8	8,258	24.2
Lib Dem	6,047	19.0	7.5	3,941	11.5
UKIP	840	2.6	-	-	-
Veritas	343	1.1	-	-	-
Soc Lab	-	-	-	826	2.4
Majority	11,638	36.5	-	12,871	37.7
Turnout	31,850	50.0	-0.1	34,154	50.1