Atkins began his political career at a local level. He served as a councillor for the
London Borough of Haringey from 1968 to 1977. After unsuccessfully campaigning for the new seat of
Luton West in
February and
October 1974, he was elected the
Member of Parliament for
Preston North from 1979 to 1983, and for
South Ribble from 1983 to 1997. From 1984 to 1987 he was President of
Conservative Trade Unionists. Parliamentary Private Secretary to Norman Lamont MP 1982-85 and then Lord Young of Grafham 1985-87. Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Industry (DTI) 1987-89. Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Roads & Traffic (DOT) 1989-90. Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Minister for Sport) (DOE & then D/Education) 1990-92. Minister of State (Northern Ireland) 1992-94. Minister of State for the Environment & Countryside (DOE) 1994-95. He was made a member of the
Privy Council in 1995 and knighted in 1997. He later became a
Member of the European Parliament for the
North West England region in 1999. He was Deputy Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament until November 2007 and was Chief Whip there from November 2008 to November 2009. He was Conservative Spokesman on Industry and External Trade from 2001 to 2004, and was Spokesman on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism from 1999 to 2001.) He was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Transport & Tourism Committee. He stood down at the 2014 European Elections. In 2019, he was elected as a councillor for the
Garstang ward of the
Borough of Wyre in
Lancashire. ==Honours==