Background
Palmer's father was a translator/editor and his mother was a language teacher. He is the cousin of Lieutenant-General Anthony Palmer, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. He married Fiona Hunter in 2000, having proposed on the terrace of the House of Commons. The ceremony took place on his birthday in the ornate 14th century Chapel of St Mary Undercroft.
He attended International Schools in Copenhagen and Vienna. He speaks six languages, despite being born with a cleft palate, and works as a professional translator of Danish and German for the European Commission and other clients. He was the first person with the cleft palate disability to enter Parliament.
He was awarded an MSc at Copenhagen University and a PhD in Mathematics from Birkbeck College, University of London. He also studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he researched artificial intelligence and language translation. As a computer scientist, he developed the COMPACT clinical trials package for the Medical Research Council. Joining the Swiss pharmaceutical firm Ciba-Geigy, he became head of Novartis Internet Service when Ciba-Geigy merged with Novartis.
He designed and developed a computer game about the Battle of Britain, named Their Finest Hour. He has written three books about conflict simulation games and still attends international conventions, winning the Diplomacy championship at the World Boardgaming Championships in 2007. He co-founded and edited Flagship magazine in 1983, covering the field of play-by-mail games. A keen card player, he has represented the House of Commons at bridge.
With his secretary Philipa Coughlan (with sons Nick and Sean) and fellow MP, Liz Blackman, he compiled a book of recipes favoured by MPs. For example, Tony Blair's recipe was for Meatball and Tomato Sauce while speaker Betty Boothroyd preferred Stewed Oxtail. Nick Palmer's own recipe was for Swiss-style potatoes – Berner Roesti.
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