Life Story
Greg was born in 1965 in New York , the son of British parents, and lived in the USA until he was seven years old. Thereafter, Greg was educated at state schools in England , but the family was constantly on the move, due to the Labour Government of 1974 – 1979 closing down grammar schools.
Greg left Dr. Challoner´s Grammar School in 1984 to go to Cambridge University to read history. First, he took a “gap year” and worked in a swimming pool in what was then West Berlin . During this first spell in Berlin , Greg developed a strong interest in the plight of the captive nations of Eastern Europe . Already fluent in German and French, Greg also learnt Czech and Slovak to good standards, as well as working knowledge of three other Slavonic languages. Greg had further spells in West Berlin and Prague during university vacations in the period 1985 – 1989.
Leaving Cambridge with a first class honours degree in modern history in 1989, Greg embarked on a career in the City. Greg worked for three different firms in an eight-year career in banking. Greg moved to Fulham in 1990, where he has lived ever since. From 1991, as part of his work, Greg was shuttling between London and New York City . Greg was a member of the Friends of Rudy Giuliani in New York , helping him become the first Republican Mayor of New York City for many decades in 1993. Greg left banking in 1997, from which time he was also full-time in London .
Greg lives in Fulham with his wife, Irina and daughter, Helena, who was born in 2006, and son Martin, who was born in 2007.
Local Conservatives
Greg joined the Conservative Party whilst at Cambridge University, and was the Chairman of the University Conservative Association in 1988, and was also an elected officer of the Students Union. He joined Fulham Conservatives in 1991.
In 1998, Greg was elected to the Council for the first time, propelling the Conservatives from third into first place in Eel Brook ward, and unseating the Liberal leader. A year later, Greg was elected Leader of the Conservative group on the Council, and led the Party in the 2002 Council elections to achieving its highest vote share – 43% - since 1978.
In October 2002, Greg was selected as the Party’s Parliamentary candidate for Hammersmith & Fulham. The most marginal constituency in London at the 2005 General Election, Greg won the seat from Labour on a 7.35% swing with a majority of 5,029.
In November 2006, Greg was selected by Conservative Party members to fight the new Chelsea & Fulham constituency at the General Election on 6 May 2010, which he won with a 17,000 majority. The new boundaries were drawn up by the independent Boundary Commission, and reflect rising population in west London.
Local Interests
Greg is a trustee of the local Brunswick youth club, was six years a school governor at St. Thomas' Primary School in Fulham, a former Home Office appointed Lay Visitor to local police stations, a former member of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, a Friend of Charing Cross Hospital, and was the co-founder of the Save Fulham Pools Campaign.
He is also an active member of the Fulham Society, the Hammersmith Society, the Fulham & Hammersmith Historical Society, the Hammersmith & Fulham Historic Buildings Group, and other local groups.
Campaigning for YOU in Fulham and Chelsea
Greg is a dedicated local campaigner in improving the lives of local residents. From his successful campaign to re-open Fulham pools over 1997 to 2001, to his campaign to end the 1999 local Royal Mail strike and campaigns against the Wandsworth Bridge Road bus lane in 2004 and to save post offices from Labour’s closure programmes in 2002, 2004 and 2008 to date and Charing Cross Hospital (2005).
Active in National Politics
Greg’s main interests in national politics are in foreign affairs, housing policy and local government, counter-terrorism and the criminal justice system. Greg is a member of the Executive of Conservative Way Forward (CWF), a member of the Advisory Group of the I Want a Referendum campaign, a member of the Steering Group of the Cornerstone Group of MPs, a member of the 1992 Group and the No Turning Back Group.
Greg has achieved frequent media coverage in all national newspapers, and has been interviewed by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, and has also appeared on BBC News, the Politics Show and is a frequent guest on radio as well.
In the 2005-2010 Parliament, Greg has been a member of two Select Committees: the Select Committee for Communities and Local Government, probing the work of Government in these key areas; and the European Scrutiny Committee, examining the work of the European Union and its steady flow of legislation affecting Britain.
In foreign affairs, Greg is a specialist in Germany, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Greg is also Treasurer of the All-Party Russia Group.
From January 2009 to May 2010, Greg served as Shadow Treasury Minister and after the 2010 General Election was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP.
