He was a senior partner in Newcastle law firm Wilkinson Marshall Clayton and Gibson (now part of Eversheds) until election to Parliament in 1987.

He has always had a strong interest in Hospital Broadcasting having been the chairman of Radio Tyneside for some years, and has maintained his links with that organisation.

He was also very active in charitable work for the Macmillan Cancer Relief organization in Newcastle and the Family Service Unit movement.

At the 1987 general election, Kirkhope followed Sir Keith Joseph as the Member of Parliament for Leeds North East.

In October 1995 Kirkhope received promotion to be Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office responsible for immigration, border controls, gambling and licensing policy, and horseracing, among other things.

In June 1999 he was elected to the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber becoming the Conservative spokesman on justice and home affairs and the Chief Whip of the delegation that year.

In 2002, he was re-selected by Conservative members in Yorkshire and The Humber to head the list of candidates in the European elections in June 2004.

In spring 2003, Kirkhope was asked by the then Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin to look into the workings of the UK asylum system and to make proposals for future party policy.

In July 2004, Kirkhope was elected as the first Vice-Chairman of the EPP/European Democrats Parliamentary Group with which the UK Conservatives were in alliance at the time.

Kirkhope continued as Justice and Home Affairs spokesman with strong interests in the EP/USA delegation and was re-appointed to these roles following the 2014 European Elections where he again led the Party list in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Following the referendum vote for Britain to leave the European Union 2016, David Cameron resigned as prime minister.