work as a legislator has informed his research interests, and he has subsequently published on the legislative process (specifically the Backbench Business Committee), conducted empirical research 'The Reality of the Constitution'. Highlights of his legislative scrutiny included work on the Companies Bill; highlighting the problems with the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill; the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill; and various Criminal Justice Bills. Howarth also was successively Shadow Minister for Local Government (2005-6); Shadow Minister for Energy (2006-7); Shadow Solicitor General (2007-9); and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice (2009–10). He served on the Constitutional Affairs, Justice and Environmental Audit Select Committees. In 2008 Howarth criticised Home Office minister Vernon Coaker's defence of the policing of the Camp for Climate Action at Kingsnorth power station, which was widely criticised as disproportionate, and called on the government and police to end the practice of likening environmental protesters to terrorists. He was one of the relatively few MPs not implicated in the 2009 expenses scandal, being singled out by The Guardian as one of the "Angels" for having "not claimed a penny in second home allowances" and commuting the 60 miles from Cambridge to Westminster. On 5 November 2009, he announced that he would be standing down as MP for Cambridge at the next election, citing a desire to return to academia, which he did after the General Election of May 2010. He was subsequently reinstated in his old job, as a Reader in Law and Land Economy at Cambridge University. He served as the Liberal Democrat nominee as an Electoral Commissioner, for two four year terms between October 2010 and October 2018. Personal life David Howarth has two children and is married to Edna Howarth. Edna Howarth is a magistrate in Cambridge Magistrates' Court. Notes External links * David Howarth MP official Liberal Democrats profile 1958 births Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Councillors in Cambridgeshire Fellows of Clare College, Cambridge Liberal Democrats (UK) MPs for English constituencies Living people People educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School People from Bloxwich People from Wednesbury UK MPs 2005–2010 Yale Law School alumni Yale University alumni Leaders of local authorities of England Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors