Roger Liddle

A founding member of the SDP, unsuccessfully standing as a parliamentary candidate for them in 1983 and 1986. He is currently Chef de cabinet for Peter Mandelson in Brussels.

He also stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats in 1992. He re-joined the Labour Party in 1995. He is a former Director of the Prima Europe PR consultancy, which was involved in the "Lobbygate" scandal involving his friend Derek Draper. He made £250,000 from his shares in Prima when it was sold in 1998. Their clients included Unilever, Rio Tinto, BNFL, Glaxo Wellcome and Powergen.

He co-wrote The Blair Revolution with Peter Mandelson in 1995, the 'bible' of New Labour. Mandelson and Liddle were local councillors together in Lambeth.

He went to Oxford University. He specialises in European policy issues in the Downing Street policy Unit. He is paid £78,128 and lives in Cleaver Square, an exclusive area of Kennington, south London.

His wife, Caroline, is the daughter of Lord Thomson. She is the Deputy Managing Director of the BBC World Service. His son, Andrew, goes to the £15,675-a-year Dulwich College, a private boarding school. Former pupils include Tory Minister Peter Lilley.