North Wiltshire MP James Gray and countryside campaigner Philippa Mayo were married at a low-key ceremony on Saturday – three years after making their relationship public The couple, who met in Parliament while Mrs Mayo led the Countryside Alliance’s hunting campaign in 2005, were wed at Chippenham Register Office.

A lunch party for close family and friends followed at Lucknam Park and the newlyweds had an informal party at home on Sunday.

Mr Gray said: “We are both very happy.”

He said his new wife would be taking on a challenge.

“It must be quite a tough job to be married to me, but she is a great girl and she has handled it all very well.

“Our friends are very happy for us and I hope everyone else will be too.”

Mr Gray added: “She and I have been through a lot of things in the past several years, but it is very nice that we have now got married.”

He became the centre of a scandal in 2006 when he admitted he had been having an affair with 46-year-old Philippa while Sarah, his wife of 26 years, was battling breast cancer.

The ensuing political storm almost cost the MP his seat when leading local Conservatives tried to deselect him twice.

He was saved by a popular vote of party members.

The couple, who each have three children from previous marriages, have been living in a rented farmhouse on the Neston Park estate near Corsham and did not want a lavish wedding.

Mr Gray said: “We had always planned to get married, it was just a case of sorting dates out and things.

“We had a simple marriage because when you get to our age there seems little point in having a big do with all the trimmings.

“We will not be going away anywhere – I am at my desk at the moment and I will be here doing my gardening.”