Here is the latest in our series of Twenty Questions with members of the Class of 2010...

Bob Blackman was elected MP for Harrow East with a majority of 3,403.

1. What is your earliest political memory? Coming home from school to hear from my parents that Harold Wilson had been elected as Prime Minister and encountering their total outrage at this gross error by the British people!

2. Complete the sentence: “I’m a Conservative because… I passionately believe in the maximum freedom of the individual under the law, promoting personal responsibility, enterprise, the family and speaking up for the “silent majority”.

3. Who is your political hero and why? Churchill for determination in adversity; Iain Macleod for thinking outside the box; Gandhi for proving the power of words over violence; Martin Luther King for vision and oratory.

4. When did you decide you wanted to become an MP? When I was at school. I have always been a representative of people, at school, University, work, Council and now Parliament.

5. What is your reading material of choice? I read mysteries and thrillers. My favourite author is Ian Rankin.

6. Who is your favourite political interviewer/presenter on TV or radio? Jeremy Paxman. He is excellent at forcing an answer to questions!

7. If you could run any government department, which would it be and why? Communities and Local Government. My experience in local government would stand me in good stead!

8. Which non-Conservative politician do you most admire? Mahatma Gandhi.

9. Who would you least want to get stuck with in a House of Commons lift? Either of the Milliband brothers! My nightmare is being stuck there with both of them!

10. If you were in the US, would you be a Republican or a Democrat? Republican.

11. What do you enjoy doing to unwind and relax? I am a passionate supporter of Tottenham Hotspur FC where I have a season ticket. This allows me to let off steam and experience the highs and lows which all Spurs supporters will understand!

12. What is your favourite book? Strip Jack by Ian Rankin.

13. What is your favourite film? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I am an avid fan of Clint Eastwood and have seen all of his films. The most harrowing film, Schindler’s List and most moving, The Pianist.

14. What is your favourite music? Rock music. My favourite singer is Rod Stewart, favourite group Led Zeppelin although I do like modern groups such as Snow Patrol, the Killers and Stereophonics.

15. What would be your ideal meal and where would you eat it? Curry at my local Tandoori restaurant.

16. What is your favourite holiday destination? Rio de Janeiro.

17. What do you most want to achieve during your first term in Parliament? I want to be seen as a keen and enthusiastic advocate for the people of Harrow East.

18. Tell us one interesting, unusual or surprising fact about yourself. Before becoming fully involved in politics, I managed a local Sunday League football team and we won the league in my final season and the cup the previous year! I went out on a high note.

19. Tell us one interesting, unusual or surprising fact about your constituency. Harrow East is home to Bentley Wood where the RAF Fighter Command had their HQ during the Battle of Britain. 

20. Share with us your most amusing story or favourite anecdote from the campaign trail. I was canvassing on a Saturday morning. I knocked on a door and there was no answer. I sighed and pushed one of my leaflets through the letter box. There was a short pause (just enough for the leaflet to be read). The letter box opened and my leaflet was pushed out again! All of this conducted in total silence and would look good in a silent movie. I marked the individual as “Against”!

> Previously: Claire Perry MP

Here is the latest in our series of Twenty Questions with members of the Class of 2010...

Claire Perry was elected MP for Devizes with a majority of 13,005.

1. What is your earliest political memory? Arguing from the left with my very right wing family.  The result was that I was a socialist by 20 confirming Georges Clemenceau’s theory.  That was before I paid taxes.

2. Complete the sentence: “I’m a Conservative because… I believe in people more than I believe in government".

3. Who is your political hero and why? Honestly I don’t really have one which is what happens when you become political later in life.  If you asked me for a business hero, I could give you 10.  I admire several politicians for different things: including Margaret Thatcher for her conviction, Ken Clarke for his longevity and enthusiasm and David Cameron for his pragmatism, commitment and courtesy.   I am a huge fan of George Osborne’s courage in tackling the deficit – it takes a lot of political balls to carry out these unpopular policies but I am convinced he is right and so are the IMF, Bank of England et al.

4. When did you decide you wanted to become an MP? In May 2009 after two years working for the Shadow Treasury team and after deciding we needed some more “normal women” to get involved front of house.  We can debate whether I am one of them!

5. What is your reading material of choice? Voracious consumer of books – ranging from Red Tory to The Other Boleyn Girl.  Also enjoying re-reading Narnian series to my youngest.   Newspapers only at weekends – Times, Telegraph, FT and Observer.  Websites are Politics Home, FT.com, BBC news, Twitter, ConHome and my children’s school websites for glimpses of them captaining the C team.

6. Who is your favourite political interviewer/presenter on TV or radio? John Humphrys, but I rather despise the whole cadre at the moment for the constant barrage of negativity.  While they are whinging, we are getting on with it.

7. If you could run any government department, which would it be and why? MoD as it is most in need of business thinking.  And I promise that there would be no photos of me in a scarf driving a tank.

8. Which non-Conservative politician do you most admire? Frank Field, Kate Hoey et al.  Committed to their causes and willing to step out from behind the ideological barricades.

9. Who would you least want to get stuck with in a House of Commons lift? No nominations I’m afraid – I’m of the belief that I could learn something from everyone here.

10. If you were in the US, would you be a Republican or a Democrat? Moderate Republican now.  But I did meet Barack Obama before the election and would probably have voted for him.

11. What do you enjoy doing to unwind and relax? Not a lot of either with 3 children, a working husband and a very active Constituency party.  I do get up at dawn and cycle most weekends, go to a great gym when I can and like cooking with the family.  Oh, and we relish a good pub quiz night.

12. What is your favourite book? Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham.

13. What is your favourite film? American Beauty.

14. What is your favourite music? Anything you would play at an 80s disco, I will dance to.

15. What would be your ideal meal and where would you eat it? Shepherd’s Pie, home grown runner beans and apple and blackberry crumble round our kitchen table in Wiltshire.  And everyone would sit up straight, use their knives and offer to do the washing up.

16. What is your favourite holiday destination? Anywhere in America.  I fell in love with the landscape in the USA when I was 21 and the love affair is still going strong.

17. What do you most want to achieve during your first term in Parliament? A reputation for getting things done.

18. Tell us one interesting, unusual or surprising fact about yourself. I used to be a catwalk model as a teenager which was the only thing that got me to stand up straight.

19. Tell us one interesting, unusual or surprising fact about your constituency. The second largest town of Marlborough in my patch was the place where the oldest piece of statute law in the United Kingdom that has not yet been repealed was passed – a testament to the law makers of old who made useful and enduring legislation unlike the last government who criminalised so much of ordinary life.  Roll on the Great Repeal Act!

20. Share with us your most amusing story or favourite anecdote from the campaign trail. I thought I would emulate David Cameron who is good at jumping up on things to make speeches, jumped up on a wall by the duck pond in Urchfont and wrecked my back jumping down.   Oh, and my Chairman now calls bars of chocolate “Claire Perrys” as a testament to the amount of rubbish I ate on the battle bus.

> Previously: Rehman Chishti MP

Here is the latest in our series of Twenty Questions with members of the Class of 2010...

Rehman Chishti was elected MP for Gillingham and Rainham with a majority of 8,680.

1. What is your earliest political memory? Margaret Thatcher leaving Number 10 for the last time.

2. Complete the sentence: “I’m a Conservative because… I believe in individual freedom and responsibility.”

3. Who is your political hero and why? Emmeline Pankhurst because "she shaped an idea of women for our time; she shook society into a new pattern from which there could be no going back" (Time Magazine).

4. When did you decide you wanted to become an MP? In my early twenties I decided that I wanted to give something back to a community that had given me so much.

5. What is your reading material of choice? ConservativeHome, the Telegraph, the BBC.

6. Who is your favourite political interviewer/presenter on TV or radio? Sir David Frost (he’s from Gillingham).

7. If you could run any government department, which would it be and why? The Justice Department – as a Barrister I prosecuted, defended, and sat on youth offender panels.  The previous Government made legislation for the sake of legislation: in the past 13 years more legislation was passed than in the previous 100 years.  Rushed legislation is often poor legislation.  We must take steps to simplify the statute book.

8. Which non-Conservative politician do you most admire? Benazir Bhutto – I had the privilege of working with her from 1999 to 2007.

9. Who would you least want to get stuck with in a House of Commons lift? Thinking about it... I always take the stairs.

10. If you were in the US, would you be a Republican or a Democrat? A Republican – I campaigned for John McCain on a visit to the US.

11. What do you enjoy doing to unwind and relax? Playing sport, watching films and spending time with friends and family.

12. What is your favourite book? A Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography.

13. What is your favourite film? The Shawshank Redemption.

14. What is your favourite music? Jazz, RnB, Classical.

15. What would be your ideal meal and where would you eat it? Traditional Italian cuisine - anywhere in Italy!

16. What is your favourite holiday destination? Italy.

17. What do you most want to achieve during your first term in Parliament? I want to represent the people of Gillingham and Rainham to the best of my ability.  I will continue to campaign on local issues and champion local causes.

18. Tell us one interesting, unusual or surprising fact about yourself. At school I wanted to be a cricketer – my friend David Masters made it, but I didn’t.

19. Tell us one interesting, unusual or surprising fact about your constituency. HMS Victory, Lord Nelson’s flagship, was built in my constituency.

20. Share with us your most amusing story or favourite anecdote from the campaign trail. I literally ‘burnt a hole’ in my shoes canvassing at elections - a feat that the local media picked up on.

> Previously: Mark Pawsey MP