Preceded by Position established Nationality British Party Liberal Democrats Succeeded by Isabelle Humphreys Spouse Steve Hitchins | Preceded by Paul Matthews Name Sarah Baroness Political party Liberal Democrat | |
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Born 14 March 1951 (age 73) ( 1951-03-14 ) Office Member of the European Parliament since 1999 | ||
Sarah Ann Ludford, Baroness Ludford (born 14 March 1951) is a British Liberal Democrat politician and member of the House of Lords. She served as a LibDem Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for London from 1999 until 2014.
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Early life and education
Her father, Joseph Ludford, sent her to the independent Portsmouth High School, before she went up to the London School of Economics, graduating as BSc and MSc. She subsequently qualified as a barrister, joining Gray's Inn in 1979.
Political career
Ludford was created a Life Peer as Baroness Ludford, of Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington on 30 September 1997, after serving as a Councillor for the London Borough of Islington 1991-99. She was elected MEP for London at the European Parliament election in 1999 and returned in 2004 and 2009, before losing her seat in 2014.
A 2008-rule change by the European Parliament, prevented Ludford (like other Eurodeputies) from taking her seat in the House of Lords in the UK Parliament due to her re-election to the European Parliament in the 2009 election. In October 2008, the European Parliament's rules changed precluding MEPs from the right to sit and vote in any member-state's national parliament, thus enforcing their suspension. This satisfied the new European Parliament rules and hence, Baroness Ludford, the only British parliamentarian to whom this applied at the time, was not allowed to vote in the Lords while serving as an MEP.
She remains Vice President of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats, and a member of the Liberal Democrat groups Friends of Israel and Friends of Turkey.
Political positions
A longstanding opponent of capital punishment, Baroness Ludford has been pressing European drug companies not to supply executioners in the United States with sedatives.
Other activities
Personal life
Baroness Ludford is married to Steve Hitchins, Leader of Islington Borough Council (2000–06).