Admitted to Gray's Inn in 1967, he became a lecturer at Kingston Business School, a position he held until his election to the London Assembly in 2000.
He was elected as a Conservative to Richmond upon Thames Borough Council in 1968 at the age of only 22 and has served as a councillor continuously since then (a total of over 40 years). He led the Conservative group on the Council from 1996 to 2006, serving as Leader of the Council from 2002 until the Liberal Democrats led by Serge Lourie regained control in 2006.