David was born in 1962. He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge (Exhibitioner 1981; Foundation Scholar 1983; First Class Honours Historical Tripos Part 1), BA (Law, 1985) and MA (1988).
David is an active local campaigner in Suffolk. He is Patron of the West Suffolk Voluntary Association for the Blind, of the Bury St Edmunds and District Football League, of the Bury St Edmunds Town Trust, of the Suffolk Deaf Association and the West Suffolk Alzheimer’s Society.
David Ruffley's Experience
David worked at Clifford Chance (now the world's largest law firm) between 1985 and 1991 as a corporate lawyer. David then served as Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Education and Science 1991-92; to the Home Secretary 1992-93 and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer 1993-96. In his role he was responsible for communications and policy formation.
David has been Economic Consultant to the Conservative Party (1996-7) and has served as Vice President of the Small Business Bureau since 1996. He was secretary of the Conservative Finance Committee from 1997 to 2001. He was a Member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Public Administration (1997-1999) then the Treasury Select Committee, where he earned a national reputation as an effective critic of Gordon Brown's Budgets and scrutineer of the Bank of England and Financial Services Authority. He is a specialist in economic and financial affairs. He is Secretary of the All Party Wholesale Markets and Financial Services Group.
David won the Conservative seat of Bury St Edmunds in May 1997. He was re-elected in June 2001, increasing his majority eightfold. The election of May 2005 saw his majority increase to 9,930. He was an Opposition Whip between March 2004 and June 2005.
From December 2005, David served as a Shadow Minister for Work & Pensions, and in July 2007 he was appointed as a Shadow Minister for Home Affairs.