Gary Streeter is a Plymouth lawyer who only achieved junior office under John Major, but was promoted (rather surprisingly) to the Shadow Cabinet as shadow spokesman on International Development by William Hague in his first reshuffle.

He opposes Clare Short, in place of Alastair Goodlad. His ability is highly regarded by Mr Hague, though he has no obvious track record in this field.

He has a first in law at London University, and before getting into the Commons his main experience was as a solicitor and Plymouth city councillor (initially for the Social Democratic Party).

He once confessed to teenage joyriding in a battered car at Tiverton.

When he became an MP (taking over at the last minute Alan Clark's Plymouth constituency, with its strong naval interest), he mainly acted as an aide to law officers (Spencer and Lyell) before becoming a junior whip.

For a year, then junior minister to the Lord Chancellor's Department (under Lord Mackay of Clashfern). He took over the responsibility for a bill on divorce law reform.