Member for Newark since 2001. Committees: Vice-Chair, All-Party Palestine Group 2002; Member, Defence Select Committee 2001. Political career: Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Hon Bernard Jenkin since 2003. Special political interests: Agriculture, prisons, defence, Northern Ireland. Profession/Trade: Journalist. Title/Honours/Decorations: Mentioned in Despatches 1983; MBE 1993; OBE 1997. Education: King's, Chester; Exeter College, Oxford, MA Modern History; RMA Sandhurst. Languages spoken: French, Serbo-Croat. Author of: Give Them a Volley and Charge (1997); Inkermann: The Soldier's Battle (1997). Hobbies: Painting, walking, bird-watching, history, country sports.
b. 26 June 1956, Stockport, Cheshire. Married with one child.

2005				2001
CON HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Conservative	21,946	48.0	1.6	20,983	46.5
Labour	15,482	33.9	-3.6	16,910	37.5
Lib Dem	7,276	15.9	2.7	5,970	13.2
UKIP	992	2.2	-	-	-
Independent	-	-	-	822	1.8
Soc Alliance	-	-	-	462	1
Majority	6,464	14.1		4,073	9
Turnout	45,696	63.2	-0.3	45,147	63.5