Career Before Parliament
Whilst an undergraduate he became a personal assistant to the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, John (now Lord) Patten, before training as a solicitor, practising as a corporate lawyer for Freshfields between 1990 and 1992. He then became a director of his own employment agency, Kellyfield Consulting from 1994 until 2001. The company employed a dozen staff and turned over almost £2 million per annum. After being elected to Parliament he sold his share of that business to a consortium led by his former business partner.
He became the Vice Chairman of the Islington North Conservative Association for two years from 1989, and was elected as a Councillor in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 1994 before standing down in 2002 after his election to the House of Commons. He contested the Conservative held seat of Enfield North at the 1997 General Election following the retirement of the sitting MP Tim Eggar. However, 1997 was the year of Labour's Parliamentary landslide and he was defeated at the election by Labour's Joan Ryan by 6,822 votes.
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