Sharp-witted backbench Tory, Northern Ireland Affairs Committee chair through the Protocol crisis and a prominent in-party critic of Boris Johnson''s unilateral approach, Local Government Minister for the last eight months of the Sunak government, now Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. The North Dorset majority was 1,589 over the Lib Dems in July 2024, one of the closest Conservative to Lib Dem near misses in the south west.

Born 1969; Modern History at Greyfriars Oxford. Public affairs career across Charles Barker, Ketchum, PPS Group and Four Communications; External Affairs Director at the Environmental Services Association. West Oxfordshire District Councillor from 2004 to 2015, a Cabinet member; worked alongside David Cameron in the Witney constituency association. Stood and lost in Cardiff West in 1997 and Cardiff South and Penarth in 2010. Elected for North Dorset in 2015 succeeding Robert Walter on a 21,118 majority that more than doubled by 2017 and collapsed to 1,589 in 2024 on a 36.6% share.

PPS to Sajid Javid as Home Secretary from September 2018. Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee from 12 June 2019 to 13 November 2023, the entire Protocol crisis. The 27 June 2022 speech at second reading of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill called it "a power grab, with all these Henry VIII clauses", said "seventeen of the clauses give unspecified powers to Ministers", and called the Bill "a failure of statecraft". He abstained on the division, drawing criticism from both sides. The judgement on the Bill''s wisdom was vindicated by the Windsor Framework renegotiation. Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Local Government at DLUHC from 13 November 2023 to the dissolution on 5 July 2024 under Sunak; his first and only ministerial post.

Backbencher again. Elected Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 11 September 2024 in a House wide secret ballot beating Sir Bernard Jenkin. Re-joined NIAC on 17 December 2024 and the Welsh Affairs Committee on 13 January 2025. PACAC inquiries since cover UK electoral resilience after the Elections Act 2022 and the governance of public bodies.

Voted Remain in 2016, set out in a constituency statement at the time. Called publicly for Dominic Cummings to resign over the Barnard Castle lockdown breach in May 2020. Voted against the November 2021 government amendment that tried to defer Owen Paterson''s suspension, a defining anti-sleaze rebellion. Voted Aye on the Rwanda Bill across its stages and No on the Leadbeater assisted dying bill at second reading on 29 November 2024.

In May 2023 IPSA named him as one of four MPs required to repay four £80 motoring penalty fines wrongly claimed on parliamentary expenses between 2019 and 2022. IPSA confirmed that fines are not claimable; the original approval was IPSA''s error. Kate Hoey publicly called for him to resign as NIAC chair; he did not. In July 2021 he apologised for a tweet about Northern Ireland bonfires that "appeared to be mocking" unionists.

Did not stand in 2024; endorsed James Cleverly. The chamber wit and the willingness to break with his own front bench on Northern Ireland and standards are the consistent threads. The Tory party did not give him much in office; the House has given him chair roles instead.