Tony is a leading public policy analyst. He was born and schooled in Hampshire. He worked locally for several years after leaving school in an eclectic range of jobs before going to Leicester Polytechnic, to study for a degree in Economics.

From 1990 to 1992 he worked as the Research Assistant to Rt Hon Dr David Owen MP, Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which included work on two books, one of which was Dr Owen's memoirs "Time to Declare". He also played an important role in the establishment of the Social Market Foundation think tank, then led by Lord Kilmarnock, and authored its response to the 1990 budget, which marked a turning point in Conservative economic policy.

After Dr Owen's retirement from the House of Commons in 1992 Tony was as an Economic Adviser at the Civil Aviation Authority, and was heavily involved in issues related to the process of European liberalisation of air transport services.

In 1995 he founded the Policy Analysis Centre (PAC)with two other freelance economists, Greg Clark and Ian Smedley, beginning with a research project on health policy. Soon afterwards he was appointed by Rt Hon Virginia Bottomley MP, the Secretary of State for Health, as a Special Adviser, and was reappointed in this role the following year when Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell MP became Secretary of State. During this time he was particularly involved in the development of the Primary Care Act and on healthcare workforce and pharmaceutical policy issues.

After the 1997 General Election Tony returned to the Social Market Foundation, as Head of Research, and published a report on British public health policy with Professor Nick Bosanquet. In 1998 he joined the corporate headquarters of SmithKline Beecham plc (later GlaxoSmithKline plc), as Director of European Public Policy.

After three years in the pharmaceutical industry he returned to independent research, once again at the Policy Analysis Centre, of which he is now Director. He has also been a Research Associate at the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE), where he has taught on MSc courses in international health policy, including pharmaceutical economics. His recent influential publications have included a pamplet for the think-tank Politeia on the future funding of the National Health Service, and for Policy Exchange on systems for school choice.

Tony has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (FRSA) since 1994, and spends his leisure time sailing a dayboat in the Solent and riding in the New Forest. He has held a Royal Yachting Association/DOT Yachtmaster (Coastal) qualification for more than 15 years, and is also a RYA Dinghy Instructor. He rides regularly with the New Forest Hounds.