Member for Northavon since 1997. Political career: Member LD Social Security and Welfare Team since 1997; Specialist Adviser to Social Select Committee 1991-96; Member of Commission on Social Justice 1992-94. Special political interests: Social security and welfare issues, social policy, tax and benefits, overseas aid and development, Third-World debt. Profession/Trade: Economist/Professor of Social Policy, University of Bath. Education: Dartmouth High School, Birmingham; Hertford College, Oxford, First Class Hons PPE. Affiliations: Amnesty International, World Development Movement. Author of: Inequality in the UK (1997); Beyond the Welfare State (1990); For Richer, For Poorer (IFS Commentary No.42, 1994). Hobbies: Football, West Bromwich Albion, most spectator sports, reading, travel.
b. 18 July 1965, Birmingham. Married with two children.

2005				2001
LIB DEM HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Lib Dem	30,872	52.3	-0.1	29,217	52.4
Conservative	19,839	33.6	-1.1	19,340	34.7
Labour	6,277	10.6	-0.9	6,450	11.6
UKIP	1,032	1.8	0.4	751	1.3
Green	922	1.6	-	-	-
Independent	114	0.2	-	-	-
Majority	11,033	18.7		9,877	17.7
Turnout	59,056	72.2	1.5	55,758	70.7