Robert Syms

Conservative MP Poole

Date of birth

15 August 1956

Political profile

Robert Syms entered the Commons in 1997.

He is unusual among Conservative MPs in having gained wide local government experience before his election to Parliament.

He was briefly leader of North Wiltshire District Council, at the age of 27, before joining Wiltshire County Council.

Without drawing much attention to himself, he was parliamentary private secretary to Michael Ancram before becoming a transport spokesman and after the 2001 election, was appointed a vice-chairman of the Conservative party.

He is a loyalist Eurosceptic, with an entrenched opposition to the Euro, although he supported Ken Clarke's leadership bid after Michael Portillo's departure from the contest.

He is not an especially partisan Commons performer, but is strongly constitutionally conservative and a bitter foe of devolution and of electoral reform.

Contact

[e-mail]

Constituency 01202 739922