Richard Spring MP
Member of Parliament for West Suffolk

I have been the Member of Parliament for West Suffolk since 1997, and before that for the old Bury St Edmunds constituency, 1992-1997, two thirds of which was incorporated into the new West Suffolk constituency. It is a rural area of considerable diversity. The largest town is Haverhill, which is expanding and prospering, with its close connections to the new technology industries around Cambridge. Second largest is Newmarket, famous as the world headquarters of horseracing. There are two major US Airforce bases - RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath. The constituency is far flung and includes some of the best farmland in England.

After leaving Cambridge with an economics degree, I joined the international financial services company, Merrill Lynch, where I spent 15 years, becoming a Vice-President. In 1986, I joined E F Hutton International Associates as joint Managing Director - they were taken over by Lehman Brothers, where as an Executive Director, I ran their US equities division. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, I was Managing Director of Furman Selz, a Xerox subsidiary, running their European operations.

I have always been actively interested in politics, doing a considerable amount of local constituency work, and was Chairman of the Westminster Conservative Political Centre. In 1983 I was the Conservative candidate at Ashton-under-Lyne; in 1990 I was selected to succeed Sir Eldon Griffiths, MP for Bury St Edmunds.

After the last General Election in 1997, I was appointed Opposition Spokesman on Culture, Media & Sport, and early in 2000 was promoted to being Opposition Spokesman for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, with responsibility for Europe, Sub Saharan Africa and the Far East. In 2004 I became the Shadow Minister for Financial Services working within the Shadow Treasury Team. Following the General Election in May 2005, I was appointed Shadow Paymaster General.

I am particularly supportive of the rural way of life and rural support services, and have led many campaigns, including keeping small magistrates courts, sub-post offices, mobile phone telecommunication masts, on ambulance cover and decent and safe roads and footpaths - all of which have been under threat in rural England.

In December 2005, I was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with special responsibility for business and entrepreneurship.

I have led the campaigns on the health crisis in Suffolk, against mobile phone masts, to secure a better transport infrastructure for Suffolk and against the increasing regionalisation of our public services such as ambulance, fire and police services.

In January 2006, I became a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee.