He studied at the Queen's University in Belfast and worked as a teacher before going into politics. He worked as General Secretary of the Alliance Party from 1974 until 1982 and was a member of Belfast City Council between 1977 and 1985.
Between July 1989 and July 2004 he was member of the European Parliament. During this period he was member of the Group of the European People's Party (Christian-Democratic Group), member of the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning and Relations with Regional and Local Authorities, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defense Policy, member of the Committee on Regional Policy and Regional Planning, member of the Delegation for relations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, member of the Delegation for relations with the Republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), member of the Committee on Institutional Affairs, member of the Delegation for relations with the Member States of ASEAN, South-east Asia and the Republic of Korea, member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defense Policy, member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).