Tom Brake

Biography

From the age of eight years old, he lived with his family in France and attended the Lycee International in the western suburbs of Paris. Ten years later Tom returned to England to continue his education at Imperial College, London where he gained a BSc (Hons) degree in Physics. As a student he became actively involved in human rights issues. He joined Amnesty International and was chairman of the Imperial College students' group from 1981 to 1982.

After leaving University in 1983, Tom joined Hoskyns (now Cap Gemini) leaving the company as a Principal Consultant when he was elected to Parliament in 1997.

Tom moved to Carshalton, Surrey in 1990 and was elected a Sutton Councillor in 1994, consolidating the Liberal Democrats control of the council. He became a member of the Council's Policy and Resources Committee and Vice-Chair of the Policy Sub-Committee.

He stood as the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Carshalton and Wallington in 1992 when he reduced the Tory MP's majority by nearly 4,500 votes; and won the seat in 1997, overturning nearly a 10,000 majority. He was re-elected in 2001 with a majority of around 4,500.

In his first term in Parliament he was the Liberal Democrats Environment Spokesman. He then became Shadow Transport Minister and later Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.

From May 2005 until March 2006, Tom was the party's Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. He is now a Shadow Minister in the Communities and Local Government Team.

He is the Chairman of the National Council for Civil Protection, the Parliamentary Sponsor of the Air Safety Group and a member of the Franco-British Parliamentary Relations Group.

You can find out more information about me and my work for the people of Carshalton & Wallington at my own website: www.tombrake.co.uk.