Graham represented the constituency of Nottingham North as it’s Member of Parliament from 1987-2017.

Damned as “very independent minded" by Blair’s No.10, he proved it in opposing the war in Iraq by helping to organise the two biggest parliamentary rebellions within a governing party in UK’s political history.

He firstly took on the executive role of Chair of Nottingham’s Local Strategic Partnership in 2005 which he renamed One Nottingham and set it the mission of making Nottingham the first “Early Intervention City”.

In 2007 he wrote with Iain Duncan-Smith the seminal “Early Intervention: good parents, great kids, better citizens “underlining his reputation for getting things done by working cross party”.

In July 2010, the Conservative Prime Minister requested he carry out an Independent Review of Early Intervention for Her Majesty’s Government. He produced two influential reports, the first, “Early Intervention: the next steps”, and the second of which,” Early Intervention: Smart Investment, Massive Savings”. He then set about building and funding a national Early Intervention Foundation to implement the findings of the reports. The EIF opened for business in February 2013 and he Chaired it unpaid.