Roger Gale was born in 1943 and educated at Southbourne Preparatory School, Hardye’s School, Dorchester and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.  He is married to Suzy and has three children and five grandchildren.   He is a former producer and director of Current Affairs programmes for the BBC, editor of Thames Television’s Teenage Unit, and a freelance radio journalist.  He has business experience both in the film industry and in market research.  

 

He contested Birmingham Northfield at a by-election in 1982 and was then elected as the Member of Parliament for North Thanet at the General Election in June 1983, and was re-elected in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2005., 2010, 2015 and 2017.  

 

Roger was appointed as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee from 1989 to 1992, and the Televising of the House Select Committee from 1989 to 1991.  He was also the Founding Chairman of the All Party Group for the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments. 

 

He has been a member many  Parliamentary delegations and has served as an International Election Observer in Outer Mongolia, South Africa., Mozambique, Ghana and, most recently, in The Gambia, Kenya & Macedonia, Armenia, Georgia, Tunisia, Eastern Ukraine and Crimea , Her first served on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe between 1987 and 1989 , was re-appointed in 2010 and now leads the United Kingdom delegation .

 

He has specialised knowledge of political broadcasting, media matters, press and PR., animal welfare, defence and criminal justice issues.  During his 34 years as a Member of Parliament he has been appointed as a member of a wide range of bill committees.

 

Roger is a Fellow of the Industry & Parliament Trust, the Parliament & Armed Forces Fellowship and was the first Member of Parliament to participate in the Police Service Parliamentary Scheme with the Metropolitan Police (1995/6).  He undertook a Police Post Graduate attachment.   He has served as a Special Constable with the British Transport Police and as a PPS to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces between 1992 and 1995.    From 2001-2003 he was a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party.  

 

Roger is President of the Conservative Animal Welfare Group.  He is an Honorary Member of the British Veterinary Association and an honorary life member of The League Against Cruel Sports.   He also holds honorary offices within a number of voluntary groups in his constituency, including St John Ambulance, 1st Margate (St John’s) scout troop. And the Herne Bay Air Cadets.   He is Chairman of the Try Angle Awards Foundation and is a past-Chairman and  trustee of SPANA.

 

He is a member of the Procedures Select Committee, and is the longest-serving  member of the Speaker’s Panel of Chairmen.  Since his appointment to the Panel in 1997 he has chaired more than 100 pieces of legislation through their committee stages and has, most recently, chaired the Coroners & Justice Bill.  He also, regularly, chairs debates in the Westminster Great Hall and has acted as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

 

Roger is currently the Leader of the United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and, following the suspension of the President in June 2017, presided until the election of a new President in October. He remains the Senior Vice-President and as such is a member of the Assembly`s Bureau, Standing, Monitoring and Rules Committees.

 

Roger takes an ongoing and active interest in the very many voluntary and charitable organisations working locally in East Kent.  He also keeps in regular touch with members of his local business community in N. Thanet while continuing daily to deal with constituency casework and with the many and varied needs of his North Thanet constituency.     

 

Roger’s wife, Suzy, who is his full-time Parliamentary Office Director, is President of the East Kent Unit for Breast Screening, Patron of the local Cats Protection branch and the E. Kent Animal Centre.  She is a former member of the Council of Management of the Strode Park Foundation for the Disabled.   She took over from Roger as Co-Chairman of Conservative Animal Welfare and is the Founder and Secretary of Animals Worldwide.   She has enjoyed more than thirty years of experience as a magistrate s, specialising in Family Court work.

 

Roger was re-elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for the North Thanet constituency in December 2019.

​

​