During last month's Liberal Democrat party conference Matthew Taylor said that cutbacks in public spending would be a disaster in the face of world turmoil. He said the terrorists' target was "the world economy, our economy, our jobs, our pensions, our livelihoods. We are not just fighting terrorism, we are fighting for the health of the global economy."
After managing Charles Kennedy's party leadership campaign in 1999, he replaced Malcolm Bruce as the party's principal Treasury spokesman, a post he retained in the reshuffle after the 2001 election.
Mr Taylor won the Truro and St Austell constituency in 1987 at the age of just 24 following the former MP David Penhaligon's death in a car accident.
As the late Mr Penhaligon's research assistant he was well-placed to fight the seat, becoming the youngest MP in the Commons.
Mr Taylor, who won a scholarship to Oxford University, became energy spokesman soon after entering Parliament.
He was responsible for the party's 'target seats' strategy that led to the return of 46 Liberal Democrat MPs in 1997.
He was awarded the title of Britain's most effective environmental MP in 1997 whilst environment spokesman.
