He was defeated at the 1997 general election, his constituency attracting some interest because its majority had placed it at the point where a Labour gain would indicate that that party was likely to win an overall majority, which it did. Kirkhope then returned to legal practice and also went into business. He was a non-executive director of the Bournemouth and West Hants Water Company for some years, and then more recently has been, and remains, a member on the board of a company pension trust.