THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The European Parliament is composed of 785 MEPs, elected every 5 years by universal suffrage to serve 496 million EU citizens. It convenes for plenary in Brussels and Strasbourg and holds an administrative seat in Luxembourg City.

                                 Brussels                                        Strasbourg                                  Luxembourg

Together with the Council of the European Union, it forms the bicameral legislative branch of the EU’s institutions. It is able to legislate jointly with the Council in three-quarters of all EU fields of competency through the co-decision procedure, where draft legislation introduced by the Commission may be amended and must be agreed by both chambers before becoming law.

Other roles include approving the EU budget, electing the European Ombudsman, influencing the appointment of members of the Court of Auditors and the Executive Board of the European Central Bank. It can also veto the appointment of the European Commission, set-up Committees of Inquiry and call other institutions to answer questions and, if necessary, take them to the European Court of Justice where EU law has been infringed.

MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FOR THE EAST OF ENGLAND 2009-2014

The East of England has seven MEPs from across the political spectrum, representing their constituents in Brussels, Strasbourg and within the region.

• Andrew Duff (Liberal Democrats)
• Richard Howitt (Labour)
• Vicky Ford (Conservative)
• Robert Sturdy (Conservative)
• Geoffrey Van Orden (Conservative)
• Stuart Agnew (UKIP)
• David Campbell Bannerman (UKIP)

For further information on our MEPs, please contact Sarah Murray , on [email protected]

**********************************************************************************************************************

Andrew Duff (Liberal Democrats)

(b. 25 December 1950, Birkenhead, Merseyside)

Andrew has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1999 and is the current leader of the UK delegation within the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe ALDE). Prior to this, he has been a City Councillor in Cambridge (1982-1990), a director of the Federal Trust for Education and Research (1993-1999), a Joseph Rowntree Reform Fellow, a Research Officer to the Hansard Society for Parliamentary Government and a consultant to the European Commission, the BBC, the Policy Studies Institute and the Cambridge hi-tech industry. In addition, he has authored and edited numerous publications, including The Struggle for Europe’s Constitution (2005), Plan B: How to Rescue the European Constitution (2006) and Constitution Plus: Renegotiating the Treaty (2007)

Parliamentary Work:

• Full member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)
• ALDE spokesman on Constitutional Affairs
• Substitute member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)
• Substitute member of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE)
• Full member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
• Substitute member of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly
• Substitute m ember of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community
• Co-chair of the European Parliament Federalist Intergroup.

Other Activities and Interests:

• Board member of TEPSA (Trans-European Policy Studies Association)
• President of the Union of European Federalists
• Member of the steering committee of the International European Movement.
• Regular columnist for the Financial Times
• Science and technology
• Research, development and innovation

Please contact Andrew on the details below:

Back to Top

**********************************************************************************************************************

Richard Howitt (Labour Party)

(b. 5 April 1961, Reading)

Richard has been a member of the European Parliament since 1994, where he is European Parliament spokesman on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Labour spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights.

Prior to this, he spent eleven years as an elected councilor, including three as Leader of Harlow Council, and eight years working in the voluntary sector for a disability organisation

Parliamentary Work:

• Full member of the Subcomittee on Human Rights
• Full member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Substitute member of theSubcommittee on Defence
• Substitute member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
• Full member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
• Substitute member of the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan
• Substitute member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia
• Substitute member of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
• President of the European Parliament All-Party Disability Intergroup

Other Activities and Interests:

• European Vice-President of the UK Local Government Association
• Bureau member of the European Parliament's Disability Intergroup
• Human rights, anti-discrimination
• Social inclusion

Please contact Richard on the details below:

Back to Top

**********************************************************************************************************************

Vicky Ford (Conservative and Unionist Party)

(b. 21 September 1967, Omagh, Co. Tyrone)

Elected in 2009. Formerly a Councillor for South Cambridgeshire - held role of portfolio holder for Finance and Community Development (2005-2009). Vicky was previously a Vice-President in Loan Syndication, Fixed Income and Debt Capital Markets at JP Morgan and a Managing Director in Loan Capital Markets for Bear Stearns International.

Parliamentary Work:

• Full member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)
• Full member of the Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS)
• Substitute member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)
• Full member of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
• Substitute member of the Delegation for relations with India

Other Activities and Interests

• Economic and Monetary Affairs  

Please contact Vicky on the details below:

Back to Top  

**********************************************************************************************************************

Robert Sturdy (Conservative and Unionist Party)

(b. 22 June 1944, Wetherby, West Yorkshire)

Robert has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1994. Prior to this he was Chairman of the Regional Livestock Committee and Sugarbeet, Potatoes and Cereals Committee through having been a farmer.

He has been Deputy Chairman of the Conservatives in the European Parliament 1999-2001, Conservative, and EPP-ED spokesman on Agriculture (1994-2001) and Rural Affairs (2001-2004) and a member of the European Foot and Mouth inquiry committee

 Parliamentary Work:

• Vice-Chairman of the Committee on International Trade (ITRE)
• EPP-ED Group Coordinator for International Trade
• Substitute member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI)
• Full member of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
• Substitute member of the Delegation for relations with Iraq
• Substitute member of the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament

Other Activities and Interests

• Member of the RSPB
• Vice-President of the Cambridgeshire Beekeepers Association
• Treasurer of the Land Use and Food Policy Intergroup

Please contact Robert on the details below:

Back to Top

**********************************************************************************************************************

Geoffrey Van Orden MBE (Conservative and Unionist Party)

(b. 10 April 1945, Waterlooville, Hampshire)

Formerly a British Army officer, Geoffrey has been a Conservative Member of the European Parliament since 1999. Whilst opposing deep European integration, Geoffrey has worked to provide the benefits of the EU for the people of the East of England. This includes support for transport infrastructure improvements and initiating the successful BUILD scheme, which provided assistance to some 200 small businesses and over a thousand people using some £1 million of ESF and regional development funding. He has also been actively engaged on behalf of farmers and fishermen and on issues such as energy security, policing, opposing racism in football, and animal welfare.

As the Parliament's spokesman on Bulgaria, where he sees his role as that of “critical friend” and as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee with Turkey, he has been actively involved in some of the most difficult issues concerning enlargement of the EU. He regards enlargement as one of the few areas where the EU has made a useful contribution, helping extend the area of stability and prosperity across Europe whilst avoiding an EU Superstate

Parliamentary Work:

• Full m ember of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)
• Full member of the Sub-Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE)
• Substitute member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN)
• Full member of the Delegation for relations with Iran
• Substitute member of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
• Substitute member of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
• Substitute member of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
• Conservative Spokesman on Defence and Security Policy

Other Activities and Interests:

Please contact Geoffrey on the details below:

Back to Top

**********************************************************************************************************************

Stuart Agnew (UKIP)

(B. 24 October 1933, Norwich, Norfolk)

Elected in 2009. Member of the Royal Agricultural College and the winner of the McClennan Silver Medal. Assistant farm manager from 1971-1974 and a Soil and Water Conservation Officer in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

Parliamentary Work:

• Full member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI)

Other Interests and Activities: 

• Agriculture and rural development policy
• Member of the Royal Agricultural College

Please contact Stuart on the details below:

Back to Top

**********************************************************************************************************************

David Campbell Bannerman (Conservative and Unionist Party)

(b. May 1960, Mumbai, India)

Elected in 2009. Former PR consultant and Communications Director of the Association of Train Operating Companies. Former Special Advisor on the peace process to the UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1996-1997). Chairman of the UK Independence Party (2005-2006) and Deputy Leader and Head of Policy from 2006. In May 2011 he left UKIP and rejoined the Conservative Party in the European Parliament.

Parliamentary Activities 

• Full member of the Committee on International Trade (INTA)
• Full member of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE)
• Substitute member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)

Other Activities and Interests:

• International affairs
• Chairman of the Bow Group 

Please contact David on the details below:

Back to Top