Conservative MP Norfolk North West

Date of birth

29 March 1955

Political profile

Henry Bellingham regained in 2001 the Norfolk North West seat he had lost to Labour in 1997, having previously held it since 1983.

His previous career culminated in serving as Malcolm Rifkind's parliamentary private secretary.

Mr Bellingham was known as a hard-working MP, he is an old-school Tory MP - a wealthy barrister, from land-owning Norfolk gentry, and an alumnus of Eton and Cambridge.

The Norfolk North West MP is on the moderate wing of his party and his political priorities are countryside issues, especially gun ownership, of which he is a vociferous supporter.

One of his ancestors was in fact hanged for assassinating Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in 1812.

He was promoted from the backbenches in Iain Duncan Smith's second re-shuffle to become a shadow spokesman on trade and industry.

In November 2003, he was appointed as a shadow economic affairs minister, with responsibility for industry, small business and construction.

Contact

Commons office: 020 7219 8484
Constituency office: 01485 600559