I was first elected to the European Parliament in 1999 representing the Conservative Party in the East Midlands.  The UK Conservatives belong to the EPP-ED (European Peoples Party-European Democrats) within the Parliament.  I am currently Conservative Spokesman on Culture, Media and Sport in Europe. I also work on the Internal Market Committee and Budgetary Control Committee.  

I am probably best known within the Parliament for my work on the Budgetary Control Committee where I have consistently led the fight against fraud and misuse of taxpayers' money.  I supported Marta Andreasen, the sacked Chief Accounting Officer for the Commission, against the Prodi Commission when she spoke up about the discrepancies in the European Commission's accounts. I was proud to have helped expose Ms Andreasen's revelations about the sheer incompetence of the Commission's accounting procedures.

On the same Committee in 2006 I exposed the use of Parliamentary votes to force through parts of the EU Constitution, despite it's rejection in France and the Netherlands. I submitted dozens of amendments to delete sections of the budget linked to the unwanted and un-ratified Constitution. In 2007 I identified hundreds of millions of pounds of waste in the EU Budget - including money for the "Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission"; promotion of foreign films; and spending on an EU Common Foreign and Security Policy - but alas, my attempts to block this funding were voted down by by MEP colleagues.

Within the Parliament I am also President of the "Sports Intergroup" and a former Chairman of "Friends of Football" sponsored by UEFA, which are both cross party groups of MEPs who are interested in sporting issues.  My love of sport began at an early age when I qualified as a football referee, aged 14. I still referee in my spare time in local Northamptonshire leagues. I work extensively with groups from across all sports, and am particularly keen on helping disability sports organisations such as Special Olympics and Paralympics.

I was a Parliamentary Candidate in Leicester South in 1997 and again in the by-election in 2004, and am currently Parliamentary Spokesman for the constituency of Daventry. I am wokring on many local issues in the East Midlands at the moment - in particular, please see the 'Policy' section of the website for my thoughts on wind farm developments, closure of local post offices, and the "postcode lottery" system of allocating anti-cancer drugs.

I was born on 28th November 1967 and am married to Jayne. We have two young daughters - Megan, born May 1996, and Tess, born April 2000.

Before becoming an MEP, I worked in the family wholesale fruit and vegetable business in New Covent Garden, eventually become the Managing Director. I left the business shortly after my election to the European Parliament.