David was born in 1944. He went to Ripon Grammar School where he became head boy in 1962.
He read History at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (1963-66) and obtained one of the first Kennedy Scholarships to Harvard University (1966-67) where he studied international politics under Dr Henry Kissinger.
He has been married for 26 years to Anne who is French. David and Anne have one son Alexander aged 25, and twin daughters Isobel and Natalie aged 23.
David professional career began in 1967 as a journalist on the Newcastle Journal, Tyneside. From 1970 to 1979 he worked for The Financial Times in London, successively as Editor World Trade, Editor International Company News, Brussels Correspondent, Paris Correspondent and European News Editor.
David Curry's Experience
David's political career started in 1974 when he contested Morpeth, Northumberland in both General Elections in. In 1979 he was elected Conservative Member of the European Parliament for Essex North East in the first direct elections to the European Parliament. He was appointed spokesman for the Conservatives on Agriculture and in 1982 was appointed Chairman of the Agriculture Committee. He was re-elected to the European Parliament in 1984 and specialised in budget matters.
He was elected MP for Skipton and Ripon at the General Election of June 1987 and re-elected in April 1992 and May 1997. In July 1989, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and promoted to Minister of State in 1992. In May 1993, he was appointed Minister for Local Government and Property Services Agency Privatisation and Planning at the Department of the Environment. In July 1994, he became Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration. In June 1996, he was made a Privy Counsellor.
In June 1997, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In November 1997, he stood down as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. From November 2003 to March 2004, he was Shadow Secretary of State for Local & Devolved Government Affairs.