Sir George was first elected Member of Parliament for North West Hampshire on 1st May 1997 with a majority of 11,551 votes. He was re-elected on 7th June 2001 with an increased majority (12,009 votes) but on a reduced turnout, giving him an increased share of the total votes (50.1%). In the June 2005 General Election he was returned with a further increased majority and again an increased share of the vote. Once again, at the May 2010 General Election he gained an increased share of the vote and an increased majority. (Click here for detailed results of all three elections).
First elected to Parliament in 1974, he had previously served as MP for Ealing Acton, a constituency that disappeared as a result of boundary changes in 1997, which reduced by 10 the numbers of MP's in London.
As Member for North West Hampshire, he became Shadow Leader of the House of Commons in William Hague's Shadow Cabinet, having been Shadow Defence Secretary from May 1997 until June 1998. In the June 1999 reshuffle, Sir George was given additional responsibilities as Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs. His earlier Ministerial career under Margaret Thatcher and John Major included spells at Health, Environment and Housing. He served as Financial Secretary to HM Treasury, 1994-1995 and as Secretary of State for Transport, 1995-1997. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in the June 1993 Birthday Honours.
In September 2000, Sir George resigned from the Shadow Cabinet to allow his name to go forward as a candidate for Speaker. In the new Parliament following the General Election of 2001, he was elected Chairman of the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges, a post to which he was again returned following the 2005 Election. Following the General Election in May 2010, Sir George was appointed Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal. In the September 2012 reshuffle, Sir George returned to the backbenches, from whence he was recalled in October 2012, to succeed Andrew Mitchell as Chief Whip.
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