He was elected in the 1997, with a majority of 2. This result was later declared invalid by a court, due to a challenge to his Conservative rival Gerry Malone, and the election was re-run. He won the re-run with a massive majority of 21,556, and held the seat the 2001 election.
Before entering Parliament, he had been a councillor, and was leader of the SDP group on Watford District Council. He stood for Watford at the 1992 election, and polled 10,000 votes.