Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP - Biography

As a specialist in justice matters, Sarah Ludford has been particularly active in the construction of a common EU asylum system and coherent migration policy, combating discrimination and promotion of human rights. She has also been in the forefront of efforts to tackle organised crime and terrorism through European cross-border law enforcement, including her work implementing the European Arrest Warrant, which allowed the fast track expedition of the failed 21/7 London bombers. Sarah also insists on the respect of individual freedoms and avoidance of stereotyping Muslims in the context of anti-terrorism measures.

Sarah is concerned at EU plans which will increasingly infringe on privacy and undermine protection of personal data; she is rapporteur on the proposed Visa Information System. She has been EP lead member on anti-racism, on rights for EU-resident legal immigrants, and on internment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. She is active in the Parliament's 'intergroups' on anti-racism & diversity (vice-President) and gay & lesbian rights. Sarah is on the Council of Liberty and patron of Fair Trials Abroad.

Sarah campaigns strongly for a cleaner environment in London, respecting EU pollution laws. The petition she ran on stopping raw sewage discharge into the River Thames was influential in the decision to build a tunnel to divert it to treatment. She is active in pushing for better air quality, and in opposing the proposed Heathrow third runway which would create more air and noise pollution, harm the fight against climate change and damage Londoners' quality of life.

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP is London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP and a life peer in the House of Lords. She is spokeswoman for the British Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament on the Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs committee and Vice-Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Human Rights Sub-Committee. She was previously Vice-Chairwoman of the European Parliament's temporary committee on extraordinary rendition. She is also a member of the Economic & Monetary Affairs committee and the European Parliament delegation for relations with the United States. She takes a strong interest in the Balkans, Turkey, including the Kurdish people, and Cyprus.

Sarah Ludford was an Islington councillor for 8 years from 1991-1999. An LSE graduate in international history, she also has a master's degree in European studies and is qualified as a barrister. Her career, which started in Whitehall, included 7 years in Brussels working for the European Commission, 5 years in the City (European adviser at Lloyd's of London and vice-president, Corporate External Affairs at American Express Europe) and 7 years as a European consultant before appointment to the House of Lords in 1997 and election to the European Parliament in 1999.

Videos and Photos of Sarah.