He was first elected to Parliament to represent Basildon in 1983, and then stood for election in Southend West in 1997. He has been an active MP in Parliament, sponsoring bills including the Abortion (Amendment) Bill (1996-7), the Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act (1988) and the Warm Homes Bill, which passed into law in December 2000 as the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act. With over 30 years’ experience in Parliament, David often chairs debates in the House of Commons on various different issues. David’s main interests and areas of expertise are animal welfare and pro-life issues.