He was first elected in 1997, beating Norman Lamont, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was re-elected with increased majorities in 2001 and 2005. In May 2007 announced his decision to step down as an MP at the next general election,[1] although he said that he would have stood again if a snap election had been called.[2]
In 2006, he stated that he would force an election for the party leadership by standing if there would otherwise be only one candidate.[3] As two further candidates came forward to challenge the eventual winner, Sir Menzies Campbell, Willis did not stand. Campbell's victory left a vacancy for the post of deputy leader. Willis considered running in the deputy leadership election but did not submit a nomination.
At the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference in Spring 2007 (held in his home seat of Harrogate) he proposed a change to official Liberal Democrat policy on the future of Trident in an amendment to commit the party to getting rid of Britain's nuclear deterrent. The amendment was opposed by the party leadership and, in one of the closest votes in recent years at a Federal Conference, the amendment was defeated by 454 votes to 414.[4]
In September 2008, Mr Willis provoked the resignation of Professor Michael Reiss from his position as Director of Education at the Royal Society (on secondment from the Institute of Education). Professor Reiss, in a speech to the British Association for the Advancement of Science, had commented that in his experience as a teacher, children with creationist views were difficult to persuade otherwise, and that merely silencing them didn't cause them to change their minds at all. He suggested an alternative approach: that such pupils should be allowed to express their opinions, not as science, but as 'a world view'. This would provide the opportunity for real discussion and science teaching. Willis demanded action by the Royal Society against Professor Reiss, so stimulating a furore which concluded with Reiss' resignation on 17 September.
Peerage
On 18 June 2010, Willis was created a life peer with the title Baron Willis of Knaresborough, of Harrogate in the County of North Yorkshire[5] and was introduced in the House of Lords on 7 July 2010.[6] Willis was appointed by the Royal College of Nursing to lead the Willis Commission on the future of Nursing Education, the report Quality with Compassion: the future of nursing education was published in 2012[7]
Personal life
He is a keen supporter of Burnley Football Club. He married Heather Sellars in 1974 in Staincliffe. They have a daughter Rachel (born 1975) and a son (born 1980). His daughter Rachel is a television personality best known for her role of Connie, the so-called "AOL lady" in the AOL adverts, a role which she played from 1998 to 2003. Although from Burnley, he has lived in the Yorkshire area for many years.
