Ingram entered the Commons in the 1987 election during this parliamentary term acted as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Neil Kinnock. Upon Labour's landslide election victory in 1997 he was appointed a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office with responsibilities including security. In 2001 he became Armed Forces Minister at the Ministry of Defence.

He is a member of the Privy Council.

He is a graduate of the Open University. He became a trade union official with NALGO after several years working as a computer programmer/analyst.

A Justice of the Peace and former chairman of East Kilbride Constituency Labour Party, Ingram was East Kilbride District Councillor from 1980-1987 and leader of the District Council from 1984-1987.

Ingram's general interests include fishing, cooking and reading.