Chris became Member of Parliament for Ipswich on November 22nd 2001 and was re-elected in the General Election held in May 2005.

Chris was appointed in June 2009 as a Parliamentary Under Secretary in the Department for Transport (DFT), having previously served as an Assistant Government Whip. At the DFT, Chris holds responsibility for national networks such as motorways and rail services.

Chris has previously been a member of the highly influential Science and Technology Select Committee.

In the last parliament, Chris served as a member of the Select Committee that scrutinised the work of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Deregulation and Regulatory Affairs Select Committee and the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments. Chris steered his Private Member's Bill onto the Statute Book where it became the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003.

He was Deputy Chair of EEDA, the regional development agency for the East of England, from 1998 and was Leader of Suffolk County Council, named Council of the Year 2001, until his election as Member of Parliament. Chris was first elected to Suffolk County Council in 1985 and represented central Ipswich for 18 years.

During his time as leader of the council Chris was known for his drive for financial efficiency which saved £55 million over eight years while delivering a massive increase locally in nursery places, sheltered housing with extra care and two £1.4 million Park and Ride schemes for Ipswich,

Chris holds a degree in electronics from the University of Kent and moved to Ipswich in 1981 to work at the BT Laboratories at Martlesham Heath near Ipswich.

He lives in East Ipswich with his wife Shona,
a systems analyst for BT in Ipswich, and their
two sons Ted and Tom.
Their sons go to a local state school and Chris
was a school governor for over ten years.