"I live in the heart of the East of England. I am a former investment banker and businesswoman turned campaigner and local councillor. I want to get the best possible deal for the people and businesses of Eastern England." - Vicky Ford

Vicky was born and grew up in Northern Ireland. Her parents were both English doctors. As a child she joined her mother campaigning with the peace movement and her father stood in local elections in an area now dominated by Sinn Fein.

She attended primary school in Northern Ireland, but following her father's death she went to secondary school in England and then read Maths and Economics at Trinity College, Cambridge.

She subsequently worked as an investment banker for 14 years before embarking on a career in politics.

Vicky stood as a Conservative Party candidate in the 2005 general election and, until recently, was the finance and resources portfolio holder on South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Vicky is married to Hugo, a consultant in cancer medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds. They have three children Elizabeth (10), Edward (8) and Anthony (6). At school, Vicky was an accomplished musician, playing the clarinet and piano with distinction. She still plays the clarinet and is now enjoying the challenge of learning the saxophone.

Away from politics, Vicky enjoys fishing, skiing, gardening and spending time with her family and her 2 dogs.

My pledges to you as your MEP

I will put the East of England first. We should bring powers back from Europe not give away more. Britain should never be run by Europe . I am already backing the campaign for a referendum on the EU Constitution. If you want more information see (http://www.iwantareferendum.com/). When this campaign is successful and a referendum is called I will campaign for a “no” vote.

I will fight to clean up EU finances by eliminating waste and fraud. Tax payers’ money is your money. I know that unwrapping bureaucracy and controlling costs requires dogged commitment not just rhetoric. As a local councillor, I’ve seen it. I’m proud that my own council’s tax is the 10th lowest in the UK . I’m even more proud to be the cabinet member responsible for managing that budget. The EU wastes £120 million every year just on its two seats of government – it is time for this sort of madness to stop.

I will get our fair share of investment for our overstretched roads and railways All across the East of England more houses are being built, our roads and railways cannot cope. We must get our fair share of funds for infrastructure. As a banker I have raised funds for large infrastructure projects in the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and even Turkey . Last year we missed out on tens of millions of pounds of EU grants under the Trans-European Network funding programme because Brown’s government in Westminster dithered. This could have helped get freight lorries off our roads and onto improved railways. We cannot afford to miss these opportunities in the future.

I will fight for British farmers who have been let down by the CAP and Defra. I grew up in a farming community and have always fought for rural issues. Today food and fuel security affect us all, tomorrow even more so. It is not acceptable to allow our farming industry to decline to the level that we are unable to feed ourselves. The 2003 reforms of the CAP have again put British farmers at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in mainland Europe , and once again the rules are not applied consistently across the common market. I believe that British agriculture must be given a level playing field.

I will support our businesses by cutting red tape, help them win contracts overseas and support grants for research and development. My career in international finance involved advising businesses in negotiations all across Europe . I became a managing director of a major bank and founded my own business. I know how frustrating it is to be so wrapped up in red tape that business opportunity is stifled. I have already found my experience is invaluable in political negotiations. I will speak up for businesses large and small.

I believe in taking challenges head on. Throughout my business and political career I have always listened to peoples’ needs and have been prepared to take on any problem no matter how large or how small. I stick with the problem until it is resolved. This has served me well in business and local government, and I will continue to take the same approach if elected to the European Parliament.

Contact Details

Email:
Website: http://www.easternregionconservativemeps.co.uk
Telephone: 01223 893025
 

Robert 's Experience

Robert got his first taste of politics at school, winning the public speaking trophy. Since then he has been a councillor and was a constituency chairman from 1990-93.

Robert has represented Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire since June 1994. In 1999 he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Conservatives in the European Parliament and held this position until 2001 when he decided that commitments on the European Foot and Mouth inquiry committee would take up most of his time. He used his position as Conservative, and EPP-ED spokesman on Agriculture (1994-2001) and Rural Affairs (2001-2004) to lead the campaign to set up the first public inquiry into the epidemic. As draftsman on many reports, the most recent being on measures to control Avian Flu, Robert has maintained his interest and concern for issues regarding food safety and public health.

Since becoming the EPP-ED's Coordinator for International Trade, Robert has focussed his energies on holding the Commission to account. As this is an area where Peter Mandelson negotiates on behalf of all EU member states he believes it is important that the British public's interest is taken into account. From the "Bra Wars" debacle, where thousands of Chinese textiles and bras were blocked in Europe's ports, to Economic Partnership Agreements, which aim to put trade at the service of development, Robert works on trade issues that affect all of our lives. He is the Co-Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary World Trade Organisation Committee and represents the EPP-ED at their meetings in Geneva. He is a member of the EU-ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
In addition to his role in International Trade, Robert is also a substitute member of the Parliament's Agriculture Committee and on the Environment Committee. He follows both committees closely when they overlap with areas of his experience and expertise.

Robert: working for the Eastern region

Robert considers his first priority is always to his constituents. His favourite part of the job is meeting members of the public and visiting schools, farms and local businesses as this ensures that he stays in touch with the concerns of people in the region. He took part in a sugar growers rally in Brussels to protest against Commission proposals on reform of the sugar regime in July 2005, not just because it affected local jobs but also because it will have a catastrophic effect on poor farmers in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. In 1999 Robert led a march up the Champs Elysees to campaign against the French ban on British beef and got arrested for his pains!

He also takes a keen interest in constituents' individual problems that he is able to help on a European level. He tries to fit as many constituency events as possible and hosts groups in the Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg.

About Robert

Robert was educated at Ashville College, Harrogate and trained in accountancy. He built up a substantial family farming business, mainly in arable crops, now run by his son Julian who stood as a candidate in the 2005 general election as the Conservative candidate for Scunthorpe. He finds this practical experience invaluable in policy discussion in Parliament. As being an MEP involves so much travelling from home to Brussels when he has time off he enjoys nothing more than helping out around the farm.

His passion for agriculture started young when he became County Chairman of the Young Farmers. Active in the NFU, Robert held a number of appointments and chairmanships including Chairman of the regional livestock committee and sugarbeet, potatoes and cereals committee and was involved in the WTO Uruguay round negotiations. It was this that led to his growing interest in international trade and the important role that agriculture plays within it.
Robert takes a keen interest in animal welfare and the environment and is a member of the RSPB and Vice-President of the Cambridgeshire Beekeepers Association. Robert is treasurer of the Land Use and Food Policy Intergroup.

Contact Details

Email: rwsturdy@btconnect.com
Website: http://www.robertsturdymep.com
Telephone: 01954 211790
Fax: 01954 211786
 

Geoffrey's Experience

Geoffrey was first elected MEP for the East of England in 1999. He is Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and Defence Committee of the European Parliament and Conservative Spokesman on Defence and Security Policy. He is also a Member of the Transport Committee. A former British Army Brigadier with wide international and operational experience, particularly in the field of counter-terrorism, his last military appointment was at NATO Headquarters.

Political Priorities

"I go to Brussels to speak up for British interests and for the people of East Anglia. I did not become an MEP in order to promote the EU. I want us to govern our own country. At the same time, I want to help local businesses and citizens get the best out of the single market and to assist in the creation of the widest possible area of stability and prosperity across Europe", says Geoffrey.

He has consistently opposed European political integration, in particular EU meddling in defence, the EU "Constitution", British adoption of the Euro and unnecessary regulation.

As the Parliament's spokesman on Bulgaria and as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee with Turkey, he is actively involved in some of the most difficult issues concerning enlargement of the EU. He has mobilised the EU against the Mugabe tyranny in Zimbabwe and the military junta in Burma and has been heavily involved for over ten years in the campaign to eradicate anti-personnel landmines and assist their victims.

About Geoffrey

Geoffrey is a member of the Countryside Alliance, Friends of the Union, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a founder member of Friends of India, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Liaison Group, and Patron of Fair Trials Abroad. He is married with three daughters.

Contact Details

Email: geoffrey.vanorden@europarl.europa.eu
Website: http://www.geoffreyvanorden.com
Telephone: 01245 345188
Fax: 01245 269757