David Willetts was pomoted to the shadow cabinet by William Hague in his first reshuffle, in June 1998, to shadow education and employment against David Blunkett.

An extremely clever policy expert (whose nickname is "Two-brains"), a right-wing intellectual and reformer, who became an MP in 1992, after working at the Treasury (on monetary policy), in Mrs Thatcher's Policy Unit, and after being Director of Studies at the Centre for Policy Studies.

He is also closely linked with the Conservative Research Department and used to be private secretary to Nigel Lawson and Nicholas Ridley at the Trasury.

As an MP he became PPS to Sir Norman Fowler at Central Office, went into the Whips' office, and was promoted to junior minister for the Public Service.

He then became Paymaster-General for 6 months, but he was forced to resign over his part in the cash-for-questions affair. He was accused of trying to influence, as a whip, the chairman of a committee investigating Neil Hamilton.

Then accused of "dissembling" about it before the Standards and Privileges Committee. He resigned immediately the report was published.

After the Tory election defeat, William Hague brought him back as a junior employment spokesman.

He has published several pamphlets and is a keen free market man. The right felt that as a Thatcherite, he moved towards the centre a little to accommodate John Major.

He defended Mrs Thatcher's reforms in "Modern Conservatism".