Stephen O'Brien (53) was first elected as the Conservative MP for Eddisbury at the By-election in 1999, and re-elected in 2001 and 2005.
Stephen is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Development. He was previously Shadow Minster for Health & Social Care. Since 2003 Stephen has held a number of front-bench positions including Shadow Minister for Skills and Shadow Treasury Minister.
Before being elected as the MP for Eddisbury in 1999, Stephen was a manufacturing industrialist with Redland PLC, a FTSE 100 company, which was acquired by Lafarge in 1998.
Stephen's early education was at Handbridge in Chester and later at Sedbergh School in Cumbria.
Stephen gained his M.A. in Law at Emmanuel College, Cambridge completing his professional studies at the College of Law at Christleton in Chester.
Stephen is an accomplished musician - a pianist at concert standard, a cellist and organist as well as a conductor, and co-founder of an orchestra and choir. He enjoys fell-walking and trying to keep the garden under control.
Stephen is married (1986) to Gemma, a nurse. They have three children - James, Angus and Clara. Stephen and his family live near Bunbury in the Eddisbury constituency.