Caroline Lucas MEP

Caroline Lucas is Green Party Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion, and is currently the Party's Female Principal Speaker and the Euro-MP for South East England.

www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk

Commenting on her election as Female Principal Speaker, Caroline Lucas said: "I am honoured to have been chosen to represent the Green Party as we continue to grow in support, membership, representation - and as we stand on the verge of electing our first MPs in places like Brighton, Norwich and Lewisham.

"While the three main Westminster parties fight amongst themselves for the soggy grey middle ground of British politics, the need has never been greater for a party to say proudly and unequivocally: We are a party of social justice and redistribution - we are not ashamed of our tax proposals to make the rich and the corporations pay their fair share.

"We are a party of human rights and civil libertes - championing the rights of asylum seekers and refuges at a time when the other parties are becoming ever more repressive.

"We are a party of real sustainability and environmental justice and we won't shy away from the difficult choices ahead.

"And that's the message I will be delivering tirelessly as Principal Speaker.

"I look forward to building on the success of my excellent predecessor Siân Berry."

European Parliament

Elected to the European Parliament as one of the Green Party's first MEPs in June 1999, Caroline Lucas represents the South East of England region. Caroline is a member of the Committee for Trade, Industry, Energy and Research; and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy. She is also Vice President of the Animal Welfare Intergroup; a member of Intergroups on Peace Issues and Consumer Affairs; and a member of the Parliament's Delegation to ACP (African Caribbean, and Pacific) countries.

Achievements as an MEP

· As member of the Trade and Energy Committee, Caroline has forced the European Commission to undertake legal investigations into the British nuclear industry and promoted green energy as the alternative

· As a member of the Environment Committee, Caroline has amended legislation to strengthen the case against GM crops

· As the Parliament's Rapporteur (draftsperson) on a far-reaching Commission Communciation on the impact of air transport on the environment, Caroline persuaded the European Parliament to support the introduction of new environmental charges and noise restrictions on airlines.

· As Vice-President of the Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into Foot and Mouth, Caroline was instrumental in ensuring that the Parliament's Report advocated vaccination, rather than mass slaughter, as the tool of first resort in any future outbreak.

· As Vice-President of the cross-party Animal Welfare group, Caroline has played a key role in keeping animal protection issues high on the agenda, and campaigned vigorously to maintain the future marketing ban on cosmetics tested on animals.

· Caroline has used her position to commission EU research that demonstrates existing safety guidelines regarding mobile phone masts are completely inadequate. Caroline has also submitted a Written Declaration (similar to an Early Day Motion) on the risks of exposure to electromagnetic field from radio frequency antennae and mobile telephones, and have called for more research to take account of new technologies such as TETRA.

· Caroline has been a high-profile campaigner against the war in Iraq. In the parliament, Caroline has demanded a complete ban on the production and use of Depleted Uranium Weapons, put questions to relevant UK officials and NGO officials, and co-hosted a meeting of MEPs in Strasbourg.

Political Background:

Caroline has been a Principal Speaker for the Green Party. She won the Green Party's second County Council seat in the UK (Oxfordshire County Council, 1993-97). Caroline joined the Green Party in 1986 and has held many positions including National Press Officer (1987-89) and Co-Chair (1989-90).

Caroline has written extensively on trade issues, and is an acknowledged expert on globalisation and is an Advisory Board Member of the "Protect the Local, Globally" think-tank (co-ordinator, Colin Hines).

With a long history of involvement with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, she was an active member of the Snowball Campaign against the US bases.

Publications

Caroline has published widely including:

· Global Warming, Local Warning: A study of the likely impacts of climate change upon South East England (2004);

· Towards a GM free Europe: Halting the spread of GMOs in Europe (2003);

· Local Food: Benefits and Opportunities (2003), co-authored with Andy Jones;

· Time to Replace Globalisation (2001), Which way for the European Union: Radical Reform or Business as Usual? (2001), From Seattle to Nice: Challenging the Free Trade Agenda at the Heart of Enlargement (2000), Stopping the Great Food Swap: Relocalising Europe's Food Supply (2001), co-authored with Colin Hines;

· The Euro or a Sustainable Future for Britain? A Green Critique of the Single Currency (2000), co-authored with Mike Woodin;

· Watchful in Seattle: World Trade Organisation threats to Public Services, Food and the Environment (1999);

· Reforming World Trade: The Social and Environmental Priorities (1996);

· The Trade Trap (1994), co-authored with Belinda Coote;

· the Green Party's Report Act Local, Act Global: Greening the EU - The Challenge to Globalisation.

Caroline features on the Green Party election song, Paint the World Green, which will be heard on the Green Party's Election broadcast, and is available to buy.

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