Robert Key

Conservative MP Salisbury

Date of birth

22 April 1945

Political profile

Robert Key has sat on the Conservative benches since 1983 and had a ministerial career in the early 1990s.

He served on the frontbench under William Hague as a defence spokesman.

He has established himself in the last 10 years as a Eurosceptic, with particular opposition to the single currency.

This, however, is in contrast to his early years in Parliament, when he initially served as a political secretary to Sir Edward Heath and a parliamentary private secretary to Chris Patten.

He supports capital punishment but on other issues he is on the socially liberal wing of the Conservative Party.

He is a strong supporter of family planning, for example, but also attempted to introduce a bill banning "muzak" from public places.

He is also a cheerleader for scientific research and led the successful calls for an extension of stem cell research for therapeutic purposes.

In 1993 he was appointed a member of the select committee on science and technology.

Although he served under Iain Duncan Smith, initially as a defence spokesman, he supported first Michael Portillo and then Ken Clarke for the Conservative leadership.

In 2001 he was appointed shadow minister for science and energy.

From July 2002 he worked as a shadow minister for international development but decided to stand down in June 2003 so he could have the freedom to speak from the back benches.

However, he was appointed by Mr Howard in November 2004 to cover science for both the environment and transport team and the economic affairs team.

Contact

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Constituency office 01722 782793