About Catherine

Catherine at Parliament

I am one of two Liberal Democrat MEPs that represents the South East region in the Euro Parliament together with Sharon Bowles.

As well as working for the citizens of the region, I also sit on 2 committees in the parliament that follow the work of the commission.

My main committee is the Regional Development committee, which covers all the regions within the EU. Amongst other things this committee is concerned with civic society and links with local government through the Committee of the Regions; structural funding; regional competitiveness and employment objectives; tourism and volunteering. With my years of experience in the voluntary sector, my concerns about cross border crime, and my experience in local government, I know I am going to be kept busy with this.

My second committee, where I will be a substitute member, is International Trade, where I will be assisting other ALDE members watching legislation from the Commission and making sure that our dealings with the WTO and others support not hinder the worlds poorest nations and enable them to escape poverty and become self-supporting in the longer term.

I will also be working to ensure that environmental protection is core to all the committees work, not just an 'add on'.

Biography

Catherine is well-known to Liberal Democrats all over the south east region as a passionate campaigner and hard-working activist. Born in 1949, a farmers daughter, Catherine is the third of four daughters. After a career in the voluntary sector, raising three sons and promoting the Liberal Democrats throughout our region, she has the perfect experience to make Europe greener, more liberal and more democratic as our MEP.

A former Lib Dem councillor, twice European candidate and twice parliamentary candidate, she has fought for the Liberal Democrats at every level.

Catherine has been organiser of the regional party's conference for the past three years and is vice-chair of the Lib Dem European Group. She has the qualifications to be a great Lib Dem MEP and the campaigning skills to win the votes we need for our party.

Simon, her husband, is a professor at Oxford Brookes University and heads the Nocturnal Primate Research Group. After they married, Catherine worked as a field assistant in zoological fieldwork on South African game reserves. They have three sons, Timothy b 1976, who lives in Oxford; Ian b 1978, who is sharing his time between Slovenia and the UK and Peter b 1981, who has recently returned from Columbia working with NGOs to protect human rights.

Having travelled the world studying conservation issues, it is no surprise that Catherine puts prime emphasis on tackling climate change. She is vice-president of the Green Liberal Democrats and looks forward to championing the environment in the European Parliament.

Catherine is a staunch supporter of the European ideal, but unafraid to challenge the realities of the EU when they don't meet that ideal. As Director of Campaigns for Britain in Europe in our region, she worked to highlight the massive economic benefits of EU membership. She has backed the 'one parliament' campaign and thinks MEPs needs to push for more reforms to modernise the EU.

She has also campaigned on social justice and rural issues, with particular interest in tackling homelessness and social exclusion. In the spare time she has outside Lib Dem campaigning, Catherine enjoys watercolour painting and gardening.

Catherine has the perfect CV to represent the south east region in the European Parliament and the skills to promote Liberal Democracy at every level in it.

Voluntary Sector Experience

Regional Director, South East England, Britain in Europe

Development Co-ordinator, Magistrate's Courts, Victim Support, Oxfordshire

Development Officer, Nat Fed of Women's Institutes, Denman College

Manager, Bicester Citizens Advice Bureau

Assistant to Appeal Director, Berks Bucks and Oxon Naturalist Trust, Oxford

Field assistant, for studies on hyaenas and bushbabies, Pretoria University

Trustee, Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC Representative on Oxfordshire Racial Equalities Council, NHS Health and Modernisation Partnership Board, Drama Wardrobe and Volunteer of the Year Award)

Trustee, Oxfordshire Victim Support,

Chair, Thames Citizens Advice Bureau May

WEA Trainer, for the Citizens' Action Millennium Award Scheme 2001

Duty Solicitor Panel, Bicester, Lay member

Police Lay Visitor, Bicester and Banbury

Member, Banbury Police Consultative Committee.

President, Bicester Friends of the Earth

Chair, and Co-founder of Bicester Volunteer Link

Chair, of the Bicester Community Education Council

LEA Representative Governor, St Edburgs C of E School, Bicester

President, Wendlebury Women's Institute

Local Goverment Experience

Councillor, Oxfordshire County Council,

Councillor, Cherwell District Council

Councillor, Wendlebury Parish Council

Winner, Youth Champion 2004 ('I'm a Councillor, Get Me Out of Here' competition for Oxfordshire)

Campaigning Experience

Constituency Organiser, Oxford West and Abingdon Liberal Democrats

European Parliamentary Candidate for South East Region 1999 (Number 9) and 2004 (number 4)

Parliamentary Candidate for Banbury, May 1997 and Henley, June 2001

Elected member of the Federal conference Committee, and convenor of the Conference Access Group

Chair, Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats Printing Society

Chair, South Central Region Liberal Democrat conference committee, 2003-2006

Liberal Democrats accredited Trainer

Chair, Banbury Liberal Democrats local constituency party