Tim was born in 1942. He was at school at Marlborough, at New College, Oxford. He is married with three children.
Tim contested the seat of Rugby in the General Election of February 1974. Later, he served on the voluntary side of the Party as Daventry Constituency Treasurer and then Chairman. He was appointed as part-time Special Political Adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in May 1984, and held the post until his selection as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Daventry in November 1986. He was first elected Member of Parliament for Daventry in 1987.
He was President of the Perry Foundation, a national charity specialising in agricultural research and education, and a member of the Agricultural and Food Research Council. In November 1989, Tim was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Peter Lilley MP who was Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
In July 1990 he was appointed an Assistant Whip, with responsibilities for the Environment and subsequently for Trade and Industry and Transport. From April until December 1992 he was the Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury (Government Whip).
Tim was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Education from December 1992 until July 1995. From July 1995 until May 1997, Tim was Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In July 1997, Tim was appointed Opposition Frontbench Spokesman for the Treasury. Since December 1997 he has been the Opposition Frontbench Spokesman on Energy and Industry in the DTI team. In June 1999 he was appointed Frontbench Spokesman for Further and Higher Education and Disabilities. In September 2001, he was appointed a Frontbench Spokesman for Work & Pensions and for Disabilities.
In July 2002, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Education & Skills and for Disabilities. In June 2003 he relinquished his disability responsibilities to concentrate on post-sixteen education. In November 2003, he was appointed a Shadow Minister for Home, Constitutional & Legal Affairs, and in November 2004 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Work & Pensions.
Since June 2005, Tim has been Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Party Chairman.