Conservative MP South Suffolk

Date of birth

20 March 1945

Political profile

Tim Yeo is one of the most experienced performers in the shadow cabinet and has been an MP since 1983. His career, when the Conservatives were in power, was one of steady progress.

He served as a parliamentary private secretary to Douglas Hurd and then as a junior minister in the Departments of Health and the Environment - until he was obliged to resign in 1994 when he was revealed to have fathered a child by a Tory councillor and narrowly avoided deselection by his local party.

William Hague revived his political career and, as shadow agriculture minister, Mr Yeo was credited with providing the government with constructive opposition during the foot-and-mouth crisis of 2001.

He retained his place in the shadow cabinet under Iain Duncan Smith despite his vociferous support for Michael Portillo's leadership bid.

One of the more socially-liberal Conservatives, he was appointed shadow trade and industry Secretary in IDS' reshuffle in July 2002.

Under Michael Howard's leadership, he took up the "super-brief" of covering both health and education as shadow secretary for public services.

Those roles were later split, but Mr Yeo is now shadow secretary of state for both transport and environment, food & rural affairs.

Contact

timyeomp@parliament.uk

Constituency office 01473 823435