Jean Lambert

Early life and career

She attended Palmer's Grammar School for Girls in Grays, Essex. Lambert gained a BA in Modern Languages in 1971 from University College, Cardiff, before taking a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from St Pauls' College (Francis Close Hall), Cheltenham (now the University of Gloucestershire) and gaining an ADB (Ed.) in 1975. She then worked as a secondary school teacher in Chingford, East London, first from 1972–78, then from 1985–89 and finally between 1993 and 1999. She also holds a Professional Development Certificate (BTEC), which she achieved in 1998.

Green Party politician and MEP

After joing the Ecology Party in 1977 (later becoming the Green Party of England and Wales), Lambert has held numerous positions, including Co-Chair of the Party Council (1982–85), Principal Speaker (1992–93 and 1998–99), Chair of the Party Executive (1993–94), Representative to the Federation of European Green Parties (1987–89 and 1998–99) and Political Liaison to the Green Group in the European Parliament (1989–92). She is currently the party's spokesperson on Migration.

Lambert was first elected to the European Parliament in 1999 from the London Region, winning 87,545 votes (7.7% share). She was re-elected in 2004 with 8.4% of the vote (158,986 votes) and again in 2009 with 10.9% of the vote (190,589 votes), and again in 2014. As a Member of the European Parliament, she is or has been a member or substitute of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, the Subcommittee on Human Rights, the Intergroup on Disability and Gay and Lesbian Rights and Delegations to South East Asia, Japan and India. She is Vice-President of the Intergroup on Ageing, the Intergroup on Anti-poverty and the Intergroup on Anti-racism and Diversity. She was Rapporteur on the Parliament's Asylum Report. She is Vice-President of the Greens/European Free Alliance Group of MEPs, in which she is the Spokesperson on Asylum and Refugees.

She is an active campaigner for the London Living Wage.

Non-party activism and advisory roles

Outside her work in the Green Party, Lambert is involved in numerous NGOs. Since 1991, she has been a Council Member of Charter 88, the democratic reform NGO, as well as an Executive Supporter and Signatory for Charter 99, described as "an initiative for global democracy". She has been Vice-President of the Waltham Forest Race Equality Council from 1999. She is a Trustee of the Dalit Solidarity Campaign UK. She is also on Advisory Boards of the Work-Life Institute and London Metropolitan University.

Awards

Lambert was named Justice and Human Rights MEP of the Year 2005, the first year these awards were held.

Writings

Lambert has written numerous reports and articles on her areas of interest, especially democracy and human rights, sustainable development, anti-discrimination, social inclusion, minority rights, trade union and workers' issues and asylum and refugee rights. She wrote No Change? No Chance, a book on Green politics, in 1996. Furthermore, she has made a film in 2006, EU4U! Your voice can make a difference!, highlighting the ways young people can make a difference within EU structures.

Personal life

She married Stephen Lambert in 1977. They have a son (born 1982) and a daughter.