Member for Eastbourne since 1992. Committees: Member, Work and Pensions Select Committee; Co-Chair, All-Party Group for Older People; Member, British-American Parliamentary Group; Member, Lords and Commons Solicitors' Group; Secretary, Conservative Backbench Shipping and Shipbuilding Committee; Secretary, British-Cyprus Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Group; Member, Parliamentary Maritime Group; Member, All-Party Parliamentary Arts and Heritage Group; Member, All-Party British-Caribbean Group; Vice-Chair, Backbench Conservative Tourism Committee; Vice-Chair, All-Party British-Greek Group; Member, Inter-Parliamentary Union; Member, All-Party Czech and Slovak Group; President, South-East Conservative Education Advisory Committee; Vice-Chair, All-Party Daylight Extra Group; Vice-President, Eastbourne Branch of BLESMA. Political career: Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry 2002; Shadow Minister for Local Government and Housing 1999; Opposition Whip 1997; Parliamentary Private Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister 1996; appointed PPS to the Minister for Health in 1995; Member, Greater London CPC General Purposes Committee 1990-91; Chair, Hammersmith and Fulham Joint Management Committee 1988-90; Chair, Hammersmith Conservative Association 1987-90; Chair, Bow Group 1986-87; Parliamentary Candidate for Islington South and Finsbury 1979; Councillor, London Borough of Hammersmith 1974-78; Research Assistant to Sally Oppenheim 1972-73; President, Oxford University Conservative Association 1970. Special political interests: Foreign affairs, tourism, energy. Profession/Trade: Solicitor - built up a successful practice in maritime law. Education: Leeds Grammar School; Queen's College, Oxford. Affiliations: Patron of a number of local charities, including the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Betts Memorial Heart Foundation; President, Eastbourne Constitutional Club.Hobbies: Sailing, polo, reading music.
b. 12 October 1950, Bradford. Married with two children.

2005				2001
CON HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Conservative	21,033	43.5	-0.6	19,738	44.1
Lib Dem	19,909	41.1	1.9	17,584	39.3
Labour	5,268	10.9	-2.4	5,967	13.3
UKIP	1,233	2.6	0.5	907	2
Green	949	2.0	-	-	-
Liberal Party	-	-	-	574	1.3
Majority	1,124	2.3		2,154	4.8
Turnout	48,392	64.8	4.1	44,770	60.7