Alistair was born in 1955, is married to Eve, has two adult children and is a Granddad. They live in Wootton, Bedfordshire. Educated at Bury GS Lancashire and Oxford University. Qualifying as a solicitor in 1980, he worked in practice in London until 1983.
Alistair is proud to be connected to several local organisations serving Bedfordshire including President of Carers in Bedfordshire, Vice President of Bedfordshire Beekeepers Assc, President of Biggleswade Sea Cadets, and President of Biggleswade Scouts.
He watches football, especially non league, whenever possible, runs regularly, and has completed ten London Marathons
Current roles:
2020 - present Pro Chancellor, Lancaster University https://www.lancaster.ac.uk
2013 - present UK Commissioner International Commission on Missing Persons https://www.icmp.int/
2013 - present Member of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council
2019 - Independent Foreign Affairs and Development Consultant
2020 - Appointed to Board Coalition for Global Prosperity https://www.coalitionforglobalprosperity.com/
2020 - Appointed RUSI Distinguished Fellow, Royal Institute for Strategic Studies https://rusi.org/
2020 - Appointed European Council on Foreign Relations Council - Council member https://ecfr.eu/
2020 - Consultant - Pall Mall Communications Ltd https://pmcomms.com
2020 - Associate - Global Partners Governance www.gpgovernance.net
2020 - Strategic Advisor - GK Strategy https://gkstrategy.com
2020 - Associate - The Ambassador Partnership https://ambassadorllp.com
Experience
- 1982-83 Councillor, London Borough of Haringey
- Elected MP for Bury North 1983, 1987, and 1992.
- 1985-90 PPS to Rt Hon Kenneth Baker
- 1992-95 PUSS at the Department of Social Security
- 1994-97 Sponsor Minister for Manchester and Salford
- 1995-97 Minister of State, Minister for Disabled People
He lost his marginal seat in 1997, and became a head-hunter for Whitehead Mann GKR’s sport and not for profit sector in London, moving the family to Bedford.
Elected MP for NE Bedfordshire 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017. Did not seek re-election in 2019.
- 2002-05 PPS to the Leader of the Opposition
- 2005-08 Shadow Minister for Communities and Regeneration
- 2008-10 Assistant Chief Whip and Deputy Party Chairman
- 2010-13 Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
- 2015-16 Minister of State, Department of Health, Minister for Care & Support
- 2017-19 Minister of State for the Middle East at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development