[2] He became involved in 1961 with the humanist group[3] at Oxford University, where he studied Classics.

He later worked in management in the National Coal Board, before becoming Director of Action on Smoking and Health between 1991 and 1995, and then of the Continence Foundation,[4] between 1996 and 2001.

He was a former board member (1979–2018; chair 1989–1991) of the Rationalist Association, publisher of New Humanist magazine.

As EHF President he took part in the consultations of the EU-funded Religare project [9] and wrote a substantial paper for them [10] and contributed a critical review [11] to the book in which their report was published.

[12] He gave evidence[13] to the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life and was one of a group chaired by Rowan Williams convened by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that met in 2014-15 to consider the law on religion and belief and contribute thereby to the EHRC’s 2016 report "Religion or belief: is the law working?"