Charles Tannock

Education

Tannock was educated at Bradfield College, before going up to read medicine at Balliol College, Oxford, followed by the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London University, where he qualified as a doctor. He speaks French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese having spent part of his early life living abroad.

He is a dual British and Irish citizen.

Political career

He was first elected to the European Parliament in 1999 and re-elected for his fourth term in 2014. He was Vice-President of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Parliament 2004–07 and Vice-President of the EU-Ukraine PCC delegation 2004-09. He was Vice-President of the EP Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly 2009-14, and is currently UK Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesman, ECR Co-ordinator (Spokesman) on the Foreign Affairs Committee. He was President of the Friends of Taiwan Group 2004-9 and is currently adviser to the UK Overseas Territory Association in the European Parliament, and was Vice-Chairman of European Friends of Israel 2006–11. He is currently President of the European Parliament Friends of Kurdistan. He was appointed a Commissioner for Human Rights of the British Conservative Party in 2011 and reappointed in 2015.

A pro-European, Tannock applied for, and obtained, Irish citizenship in response to Brexit, describing himself as a "pretty angry pro-European Tory". Tannock also stated with regards to what has happened since the Brexit referendum that "I am quite ashamed to be British in many ways." He told The Irish Times that he was proud to be Irish and was planning a "pilgrimage" to Ireland.

Psychiatric career

Before being elected to the European Parliament, he was a consultant psychiatrist at University College Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at UCL Medical School. He was assistant Research Secretary of the Bow Group from 1989 to 1990, publishing Bow Group papers and made several contributions to the scientific literature particularly in the field of chronic fatigue syndrome and anxiety disorders as a medical researcher. Tannock is married with three children.

Honours

Tannock has been given the Freedom of the City of Cartagena de Indias and is a Freeman of the City of London. He was decorated by the President of Ukraine as Knight (3rd Grade) of the Order of Merit (Ukraine) in 2006. He was awarded in 2009 the Medal of Mkhitar Gosh by the President of Armenia. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Yerevan State University. In 2010 he was created a Grand Officer of the Order of San Carlos of the Republic of Colombia for services in the field of diplomacy and international relations. In 2011 the Legislative Yuan of Taiwan (ROC) Medal of Honour was conferred upon him for his "services to parliamentary diplomacy". In 2013 he was awarded the Presidential Order of Excellence by the President of Georgia. In 2014 he was awarded the Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon by the President of Taiwan (ROC). In 2016 he was awarded by the President of Armenia the Medal of Gratitude for his long standing services towards the international recognition of the Armenian genocide.