0 7 , ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁chief ▁executive ▁of ▁cloud ▁and ▁IT ▁service ▁company ▁Connect ▁Support ▁Services ▁ ▁Parliament ary ▁cont ests ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁Mac G reg or ▁cont ested ▁the ▁ult ra - safe ▁Labour ▁seat ▁of ▁West ▁Ham ▁for ▁the ▁Conserv atives . ▁Labour ' s ▁Tony ▁B anks ▁got ▁ 2 4 , 5 3 1 ▁votes ▁( 7 2 . 9 % ), ▁Mac G reg or ▁ 5 , 0 3 7 ▁( 1 5 . 0 ). ▁ ▁Mac G reg or ▁cont ested ▁the ▁South ▁Th an et ▁constitu ency ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁On ▁that ▁occasion ▁Stephen ▁Lad yman ▁pol led ▁ 1 8 , 0 0 2 ▁votes ▁for ▁Labour ▁( 4 5 . 7 %) ▁while ▁Mac G reg or ▁got ▁ 1 6 , 2 1 0 ▁for ▁the ▁Conserv atives ▁( 4 1 . 1 %). ▁He ▁stood ▁once ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁general ▁election , ▁when ▁he ▁failed ▁by ▁ 6 6 4 ▁votes ▁to ▁defeat ▁Lad yman , ▁and ▁BBC ▁suggests ▁the ▁ 2 , 0 7 9 ▁votes ▁gained ▁by ▁the ▁UK ▁Independ ence ▁Party ▁candidate , ▁N ig el ▁Far age , ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁cost ▁Mac G reg or ▁the ▁seat . ▁ ▁In ternal ▁party ▁posts ▁Mac G reg or ▁was ▁elected ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Stud ents ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 - 8