| Robert Walter MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for North Dorset |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
|
| Preceded by | Nicholas Baker |
| Majority | 7,625 (14.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 May 1948 Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Sally Middleton |
| Alma mater | Aston University |
Robert John Walter MP (born May 30, 1948), is the Conservative Member of Parliament for North Dorset in south west England. He was re-elected for a fourth term in 2010 with a much increased majority.
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Bob Walter was born in 1948 and educated at Colston's School, Bristol, Lord Weymouth School, Warminster and Aston University from which he gained a BSc in 1971.
Bob’s political career began as Chairman of the Aston University Conservative Association between 1967 and 1969 and Chairman of Westbury Constituency Young Conservatives from 1973 until 1976. He was Parliamentary Candidate for Bedwelty in 1979.
Prior to his election in 1997, Bob 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 National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations Executive Committee (1992-5) and has served as a member of the Carlton Club Political Committee.
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.
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.
In December 2002, he faced a no-confidence vote from his local party over his European views.[1]
In February 2000, he introduced the Sex Discrimination (Amendment) Bill, which failed to make progress. In 2004 he introduced the Restricted Byways Bill [2] , the provisions of which have now been adopted by the Government. His latest Bill introduced in 2006, the House of Commons (Participation) Bill proposed to limit the consideration of English business in the House to English MPs.
In November 2010 Bob was appointed by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, to head the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,.[3] Bob was first appointed as an ordinary member of the assembly in 2002 and has previously chaired its committee dealing with media issues and freedom of the press. He also served for two years as senior vice chairman of its Economic Affairs and Development Committee. Also in 2010, Bob was elected as Chair of the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Since 1997, he has been a member of the British Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body, and now serves as chairman of its European Affairs 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.
He was Chairman of the Governors of Tachbrook School from 1980 to 1999. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1993 and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers in 1983.
He married Sally Middleton in 1970 in Warminster, being married for 25 years until her death in 1995. He has three children: Elizabeth, Charles, and Alexander.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nicholas Baker |
Member of Parliament for North Dorset 1997–present |
Incumbent |