Member for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich since 1983. Committees: Parliamentary Commissioner; Select Committee on Administration 1990; Member, Select Committee on Agriculture 1983-84. Political career: Second Deputy Chair, Ways and Means (Deputy Speaker) since 1997; Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe 1987-91; Member, WEU 1987-91; Chief Secretary to the Treasury 1985-87; Parliamentary Private Secretary to John MacGregor, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1984-85; Councillor, Bedfordshire County Council 1981-83; Parliamentary Candidate for Manchester, Gorton 1979; Councillor, North Bedfordshire Borough 1974-77. Special political interests: Agriculture, arboriculture, forestry, countryside, the environment, sport. Profession/Trade: Agricultural consultant. Title/Honours/Decorations: Knighthood 2001. Education: William Hulme's Grammar School, Manchester; Christ College, Cambridge Rugby Blue. Hobbies: Golf, sailing, gardening, ancient and historic trees.
b. 17 October 1938, Manchester. Married with two children.

2005				2001
CON HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Conservative	22,333	43.9	-0.5	20,924	44.4
Labour	14,477	28.5	-8.6	17,455	37.1
Lib Dem	10,709	21.1	4.9	7,593	16.1
UKIP	1,754	3.5	1.1	1,132	2.4
Green	1,593	3.1	-	-	-
Majority	7,856	15.4		3,469	7.4
Turnout	50,866	66.7	3.2	47,104	63.5