Lincolnshire's Father of the House - Sir Peter Tapsell

Imagine having a front row seat for every major event in British politics for the past 50 years.

From the Profumo affair to the decision to go to war in Iraq - one man has witnessed first hand many of Westminster's great dramas from those famous green benches.

Sir Peter Tapsell is now officially known as Father of the House of Commons. It's a title given to the longest continuous serving member of parliament and previously held by former Prime Ministers such as Sir Winston Churchill, James Callaghan and Sir Edward Heath.

I phoned the Louth and Horncastle MP earlier this week to ask if he would be willing to appear as a guest on Look North. He said he was rather busy with the small matter of presiding over the election of the Speaker - which is one of the key roles of the Father of the House.

He did agree to be interviewed the following day.

Sir Peter was first elected in 1959 when Harold Macmillan was Prime Minister. He lost his seat in the 1964 general election, but returned to parliament in 1966 as the Conservative MP for Horncastle and has remained in the Commons for 46 years.

This week, David Cameron congratulated Sir Peter on his long service record.

Now aged 80, the veteran backbencher has served under 10 Prime Ministers, including the present occupant of 10 Downing Street.

With a huge number of rookie MPs in the new parliament, there is one familiar figure who could prove useful in offering some fatherly advice.

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