Editing David Sumberg (section)

==Political life==
Prior to his election to Westminster, he stood unsuccessfully for [[Manchester Wythenshawe (UK Parliament constituency)|Manchester Wythenshawe]] in [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]], being beaten by [[Labour Co-operative|Labour's]] [[Alf Morris]]. He had also been a [[Manchester City Council]]lor for Brooklands ward in Wythenshawe.  As an MP he acted as the [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] for the [[Attorney General]],  [[Patrick Mayhew|Sir Patrick Mayhew]].<ref name=Ind>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uks-laziest-mep-made-two-speeches-in-4-years-843828.html?r=RSS 'UK's laziest MEP' made two speeches in 4 years] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208003915/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uks-laziest-mep-made-two-speeches-in-4-years-843828.html?r=RSS |date=8 December 2017 }}, ''[[The Independent]]'', 2008-06-10  Retrieved 2014-11-21.</ref> He seconded the Loyal Humble Address of [[Ian Gow]] MP in November 1989; a privilege that was traditionally afforded only once to an MP. He held on to his seat in 1992 with a majority of 788 votes over Labour's [[Hazel Blears]], making [[Bury South (UK Parliament constituency)|Bury South]] one of the most marginal in the country.

He has been criticised by members of other political parties and the national media for his low attendance and political inactivity in the European Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members of Parliament |url=http://www.boltoninterweb.co.uk/index.php/Members_of_Parliament |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202042207/http://www.boltoninterweb.co.uk/index.php/Members_of_Parliament |archive-date=2014-12-02 |access-date=2014-11-21 |website=boltoninterweb.co.uk}}</ref> He tabled only five questions and has not written any of the reports or tabled any resolutions to the one committee he sat on.<ref name=Times/> When he stepped down from the European Parliament, he explained that as an MEP, he was "not a signed up member" of the "European Project" and did not support a more centralised [[European Union]], "unlike most of my MEP colleagues".<ref name=Ind/>

He paid his wife £54,000 per year from the staff allowance and claimed £40,000 per year in office expenses; he used the North West England Conservative Campaigns Centre as a forwarding address to his house in north London, where he claimed the expenses.<ref name=Times/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-11-23 |title=Yet another Conservative MEP in expenses trouble |url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/david-sumberg-6188.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129041143/http://www.libdemvoice.org/david-sumberg-6188.html |archive-date=2014-11-29 |access-date=2014-11-21 |website=Liberal Democrat Voice}}</ref>