Editing Christopher Fraser (section)

==Parliamentary career==
Fraser was elected to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] at the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]] for the new seat of [[Mid Dorset and North Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Dorset and North Poole]] with a majority of 681. He made his [[maiden speech]] on 4 July 1997.<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970704/debtext/70704-14.htm#70704-14_spnew0 ''Hansard'' 4 July 1997]</ref> He lost his seat at the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]] to the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] [[Annette Brooke]]. Although his percentage of the vote increased, Fraser was edged out by the Liberal Democrats by 384 votes, after a tactical voting campaign urging Dorset residents to cast their votes in the best way to defeat the incumbent Conservatives and saw his defeat, along with that of [[Ian Bruce (politician)|Ian Bruce]] in neighbouring [[South Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)|South Dorset]]. He returned to [[Palace of Westminster|Westminster]] at the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 general election]] for South West Norfolk following the retirement of the former [[Secretary of State for Education]] [[Gillian Shephard]]. He held the seat with a comfortable majority of 10,086, and managed to achieve a small swing of 0.3 over Labour.

He served as a member of the [[Department for Culture, Media and Sport|culture, media and sport]] [[Select committee (United Kingdom)|select committee]] from 1997 until he lost his seat. He was appointed as the [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to [[Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde|Lord Strathclyde]], the Shadow [[Leader of the House of Lords]]. Following his re-election in 2005 he was a member of the [[Northern Ireland Office|Northern Ireland]] select committee and was appointed to the Northern Ireland Grand Committee.  He was Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Northern Ireland Group.  He was a member of the UK delegation to the [[Council of Europe]] and the Assembly of the [[Western European Union]] (2005–2007).

In 2009 his [[United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal|expenses claims]] were highlighted in the ''Daily Telegraph''; according to the newspaper, Fraser claimed £1,800 in public money for buying 215 trees and marking out the boundary of his second home in the constituency.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5384295/MPs-expenses-Christopher-Fraser-says-that-claim-for-trees-was-necessary.html ''Daily Telegraph'' MPs' expenses: Christopher Fraser says that claim for trees was necessary 26 May 2009]</ref> The Lynn News reported "In February 2007 Mr Fraser claimed £1,808.28 for new fencing and hedging to provide security for his new constituency home."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/OUR-MPs-SAY-THEY-HAVE.5300363.jp |title=OUR MPS SAY THEY HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE - Latest News - Lynn News |website=www.lynnnews.co.uk |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912235032/http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/OUR-MPs-SAY-THEY-HAVE.5300363.jp |archive-date=12 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 28 May 2009 he announced that he would be standing down as an MP at the next general election citing family reasons.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8072666.stm BBC News; MP Fraser poised to leave Commons, 28 May 2009]</ref>

The Telegraph 2010 election website stated that he "stood down on account of his wife's health problems".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ukpolitics.telegraph.co.uk/Norfolk+South+West |title=Norfolk South West: Constituency - Telegraph |access-date=5 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710121338/http://ukpolitics.telegraph.co.uk/Norfolk+South+West |archive-date=10 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Fraser was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for public and political service.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=11 |supp=y }}</ref>