Member of Parliament for West Dorset
Chairman of the Policy Review and of the Conservative Research Department

Oliver was born in 1956. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and London Business School. He and his wife, Isabel, have one son and one daughter: Jeremy John Peter and Laura Shirley.

Oliver was elected a Member of Parliament for West Dorset in 1997. He has worked for NM Rothschild & Sons Ltd (Director, 1991-2003 & Non-executive Director 2005 -). He was a member of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit from 1983-1986, after being Special Adviser to Secretary of State for Education and Science (1982-1983) and Fellow of Darwin College, Cambridge (1981-1983).

He was appointed Frontbench Spokesman for Constitutional Affairs in June 1998. In September 2000, he became Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. In September 2001, he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Home Affairs. In June 2002, he was made a member of the Privy Council. In November 2003, he became Shadow Secretary of State for Economic Affairs & Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. From May to December 2005, he served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

Since December 2005, he has been the Chairman of the Party's Policy Review and Chairman of the Conservative Research Department.

His political interests include agriculture, European community affairs, education, international affairs and international development, social security, trade and industry.

His publications include: Ethics, Emotion and the Unity of Self; Privatising the World; Drift to Union; Aims of Schooling; and numerous articles in learned journals and popular press