Richard Drax is the eldest son of Walter and Pamela Drax, who live at the family home, Charborough Park. Born in 1958, Richard spent his early years in the Far East, where his father was serving in the Royal Navy.

Aged eight, Richard was sent to Maidwell Hall, a boarding school near Northampton. From there he went to Harrow School, before embarking on a Gap Year in Australia.

In January 1978 Richard attended Brigade Squad, a course for potential officers wishing to join the Household Division. It was then on to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the officer training college at Camberley.

Richard was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in December 1978 and was posted to Belfast in time for Christmas. The four month tour was one of three operational tours Richard experienced in the province.

During his eight years in the Coldstream, Richard served in Germany, Cyprus, Kenya, Brunei, N Ireland, Hong Kong and London, where he performed ceremonial duties, including the Birthday Parade.

In 1987 Richard left the army with the rank of Captain and attended a three year Estate Management course at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

Before starting his journalistic career, Richard had a brief stab at politics, standing for the Cirencester and Tewkesbury seat. He made it through to the last 20-odd, but was not selected on this occasion.

Then, it was off to York to join the Yorkshire Evening Press, a daily broadsheet, as a trainee reporter.

Richard became a fully fledged reporter two years later, after successfully completing the highly respected Westminster Press training course.

Following his time with the local paper, Richard gained further experience with Tyne Tees TV, the Express and the Daily Telegraph, before being employed by BBC Radio Solent, as their Bournemouth reporter.

Richard then remained with BBC South for some 10 years, becoming one of their senior reporters, with responsibility for Dorset, his home county. As well as reporting from across the South, Richard's job took him to Bolivia, Brazil, Florida and Haiti.

In 2006 Richard was selected to be the Conservative parliamentary candidate for South Dorset. At the same time he took over the running of his family business and retired from the BBC.

Richard has four children and now devotes himself to running his Estate and regaining the seat of South Dorset for the Conservatives.