He has been Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell since 2001, and lives in the constituency with his wife Sue and their two children.

Between 2003 and 2009, Chris held a number of Shadow frontbench posts including Shadow Higher and Further Education Minister, Shadow Leader of the House, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Shadow Home Secretary. Following the formation of the coalition government in May 2010, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions.

Born in 1962, Chris grew up in Buckinghamshire. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe before going to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, to read history. After university, he joined the BBC's News Training Scheme, and worked as a producer on BBC News and Channel Four's programme Business Daily.

After a few years in television production, he decided to move to the business side of the media industry, and ran a number of small and medium-sized production businesses before moving to become a director in the Employee Communication practice at international communications firm Burson Marsteller. He ended his time there as the firm's European Marketing Director.

Chris first became active in local politics when living in Wimbledon, South London, and became both an officer in the Wimbledon Conservative Association and a Conservative councillor on the London Borough of Merton.