Member for Croydon North since 1997. Committees: Member, Social Security Select Committee. Political career: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Education and Employment since 1999; Parliamentary Candidate for Croydon, North West 1987; former Chair, Croydon, South Labour Party; former Chair and Secretary, Croydon Labour Party. Special political interests: Social welfare, the family, poverty, social security, the elderly. Profession/Trade: Research director; lecturer; social political analyst; Director of Family Policy Studies Centre. Education: Elizabeth College, Guernsey; North West London Polytechnic; London School of Economics. Affiliations: Vice-President, Carers' National Association; Vice-President, Alzheimer's Disease Society. Hobbies: Walking, music, gardening.
b. 1 July 1947, Hatfield. Married with three children.

2005				2001
LAB HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Labour	23,555	53.7	-9.8	26,610	63.5
Conservative	9,667	22.0	-1.3	9,752	23.3
Lib Dem	7,560	17.2	6.8	4,375	10.4
Green	1,248	2.8	-	-	-
UKIP	770	1.8	0.4	606	1.4
CPA	394	0.9	-	-	-
Veritas	324	0.7	-	-	-
Independent	197	0.4	-	-	-
People's Choice	132	0.3	-	-	-
Soc Alliance	-	-	-	539	1.3
Majority	13,888	31.7		16,858	40.3
Turnout	43,847	52.3	2.4	41,882	54.7