[1] He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, East Retford and King's College London, where he graduated with a BSc (1st class Hons) in Chemistry in 1956, and subsequently studied at the University of Minnesota on a Fulbright Scholarship, before completing a PhD in Chemistry at St John's College, Cambridge in 1960.

He worked for some years with ICI Plastics Division, initially as a Research Scientist, but subsequently as a Factory Manager.

He served as Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Rochford from 1983 until 1997, then, with its abolition, for the new constituency of Rayleigh from 1997 until he stood down at the 2001 general election.

Locally, he was President of many organisations including Arthritis Care, Ashingdon Carnival, Chelmsford Industrial Museum, Hawkwell Boys Football Club, Hockley and Hawkwell Old People's Welfare, Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir, Mayday Mobile, Rayleigh Brass, Rochford Civic Aid, Rochford District Mencap, South East Essex Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Rayleigh St. John Ambulance Cadets.

The former Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, began his Parliamentary career working as a researcher for Michael Clark.