Robert Walter

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This article is about the politician from the United Kingdom. For the American keyboardist, see Robert Walter (musician).

Robert John Walter MP (born May 30, 1948 in Swansea), is the Conservative Member of Parliament for North Dorset in south west England. He was re-elected for a third term in May 2005.

1 Early life
2 Parliamentary career
3 Personal life
4 External links
- 4.1 News items

[edit] Early life

Bob Walter was born in 1948 and educated at Colston's School in Bristol and the former boys independent Lord Weymouth School (since 1973 known as Warminster School) in Warminster and Aston University in Birmingham (BSc 1971).

Bob’s political career began as Chairman of the Aston University Conservative Association (1967-9) and Chairman of Westbury Constituency Young Conservatives 1973 until 1976. He was Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Bedwelty in 1979.

Before entering Parliament in 1997, Bob was an international banker and sheep farmer in Devon. He is a former member of the London Stock Exchange and was a Director of Aubrey G Lanston & Co Inc. He is a visiting lecturer in East-West Trade at the University of Westminster.

[edit] Parliamentary career

Bob Walter presently serves as Chairman of the Defence Committee of the European Security and Defence Assembly, established under the Treaty of the Western European Union. He has been a member of the Assembly since 2001 and is also President of the largest political group, the Federated Group of Christian Democrats and European Democrats. He also serves as one of the UK members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he is Chairman of the Media Committee.

Since 1997, he has been a member of the British Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body, and now serves as chairman of its European Affairs Committee.

At Westminster, Bob has served as a member of the Health Select Committee (1997 to 1999), International Development Committee (2001-3) and the Treasury Committee (2003-5). He was a member of the Conservative 1922 Committee from 2002 to 2005, and had previously served as Vice Chairman of the Backbench Agriculture Committee (1997-9) and Secretary of the European Affairs Committee (1997-2001). From June 1999 to September 2001, he was Conservative Frontbench Spokesman for Constitutional Affairs and for Wales.

Bob has served as Chairman of the Conservative Foreign Affairs Forum (1986-8) and Chairman of the Conservative Group for Europe (1992-5). He has been a member of the Conservative Party’s National Union Executive Committee (1992-5) and has served as a member of the Carlton Club Political Committee.

He is a leading member of several All-Party Parliamentary Groups including Vice-Chairman of the Human Rights Group and the Prison Health Group. Bob is Treasurer of the British Japan, British Caribbean and the Parliamentary Rugby Union groups. He is also Vice-Commodore of the House of Commons Yacht Club.

In February 2000, he introduced the Sex Discrimination (Amendment) Bill, which failed to make progress. In 2004 he introduced the Restricted Byways Bill, the provisions of which have now been adopted by the Government. His latest Bill introduced in 2006, the House of Commons (Participation) Bill proposes to limit the consideration of English business in the House to English MPs.

[edit] Personal life

He was Chairman of the Governors of Tachbrook School from 1980 to 1999. He is a Freeman of the City of London (1993) and the Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers (1983).

He married Sally Middleton in 1970 in Warminster, being married for 25 years until the death of his wife in 1995. He has three children: Elizabeth, Charles, and Alexander.