Sydney Chapman

Who is Sydney Chapman?

Sir Sydney Brookes Chapman is an English politician and architect. He was Conservative Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet from 1979 until he stepped down at the 2005 general election.

Chapman was educated at Rugby School and Manchester University, where he studied architecture, gaining his Diploma in 1958 and ARIBA in 1960. He was Chairman of the Young Conservatives from 1964 to 1966.

He was first elected to Parliament in 1970 as MP for Birmingham Handsworth, but lost his seat when Labour returned to power at the February 1974 general election. During this period he was notable for Plant A Tree In '73, an initiative which led to the formation of The Tree Council. Five years later, at the 1979 election, he was returned as MP for Chipping Barnet. He was briefly a whip during John Major's administration. He was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 1997 to 2005.

He married his wife, Claire in 1976, and they have three children.

After his retirement from politics, he moved from Barnet to Oxfordshire.

He is a vice-chairman of the Council of Christians and Jews and on the Council of the Royal Institute of British Architects for 2009-2012.