Member for Battersea since 1997. Committees: Home Affairs Select Committee 1997-2001. Political career: Parliamentary Private Secretary to Baroness Blackstone, Minister for the Arts 2001; Councillor, London Borough of Wandsworth 1971-82; Chair, Recreation Committee of Wandsworth 1971-76; Special political interests: Housing, arts, education, media influence, electoral reform, the funding of political parties. Profession/Trade: Journalist on a number of national newspapers. Education: Christ's Hospital, Sussex; the Université ¤e Lyon; Pembroke College, Oxford (reading PPE). Languages spoken: French, Swedish. Author of: a number of publications, including: Making Votes Count (1997); Was it the Sun Wot Won it? (1995); Money and Votes (1994); What's Wrong with First-Past-The-Post? (1993); Labour Can Still Win (1988); The Swedish Road to Socialism (1984); Get Me Out of Here (1980). Affiliations: President, Battersea Arts Centre since 1986; Chair, Somerset Nursery School since 1986. Hobbies: Playing piano and trumpet, watching football.
b. 11 August 1944. Single with two children.

2005				2001
LAB HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Labour	16,569	40.4	-9.9	18,498	50.3
Conservative	16,406	40.0	3.4	13,445	36.5
Lib Dem	6,006	14.6	2.5	4,450	12.1
Green	1,735	4.2	-	-	-
UKIP	333	0.8	-	-	-
Independent	-	-	-	411	1.1
Majority	163	0.4	-	5,053	13.7
Turnout	41,049	59.0	4.5	36,804	54.5