Preceded by Liz Lynne Occupation Farmer Succeeded by James Carver Name Phil Bennion | Nationality British Role British Politician Party Liberal Democrats | |
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Born 7 October 1954 (age 69)
Tamworth, Staffordshire ( 1954-10-07 ) Alma mater University of Aberdeen
Newcastle University
University of Birmingham Education University of Birmingham, University of Aberdeen, Newcastle University Profiles | ||
Political party Liberal Democrats | ||
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Phillip Bennion (born 7 October 1954) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He sat as a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands, having replaced Liz Lynne after she stepped down in February 2012.
Bennion was born in Tamworth, Staffordshire and educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. He went on to study agriculture and agronomy at Aberdeen and Newcastle. After returning to Staffordshire to run his family farm, he gained a second degree, in history and economic history, from the University of Birmingham. He served as a councillor on Lichfield District Council from 1999 to 2011, and he has unsuccessfully contested four general elections, including Tamworth in 2005 and Telford in 2010.
Bennion advised Charles Kennedy on agricultural issues during his leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Bennion went on to serve on the party's federal policy committee for eight years. He was second on the party list for the West Midlands constituency at the 2009 European Parliament election, but the party's 12% share of the vote entitled them to only one seat. When Liz Lynne stepped down in February 2012, electoral rules meant that Bennion, as the next Liberal Democrat candidate on the list, took her seat. He stood for re-election in 2014 and was placed top of his party's list of candidates, but he lost his seat as the Liberal Democrats polled 5.6% of the vote, too little to secure one of the West Midlands' seven seats.