About Linda McAvan

Linda McAvan was born and brought up in Eccleshill, Bradford and now lives in Sheffield with her husband Paul. She is one of two Labour MEPs for the region, the other being Richard Corbett.

• Linda is Vice-President of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament.
• Member of the European Parliament's Environment, Public Health & Food Safety Committee, she also serves as Labour's spokesperson on these issues.
• Serves on the Development Committee and the Joint African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union Assembly.
• Senior Strategy Officer of European Affairs with Barnsley Borough Council between 1995 and 1998.
• European Officer for the Coalfields Community Campaign between 1991 and 1995.
• Worked in Brussels in various EU-related bodies between 1984 and 1991. 
• Studied languages at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh and is fluent in French and Spanish.
• She was the only Labour MEP to sit on the Convention on the Future of Europe which was responsible for drafting the EU Constitution.
• Linda's special interests include Fair Trade, Brain Disorders and economic regeneration.

• Linda was first elected to the European Parliament in the 1998 by-election for the then Yorkshire South seat.
• She was subsequently re-elected a year later in the region-wide elections in 1999.
• Prior to that in January 1998 she topped the region-wide constituency poll in elections to Labour's National Policy Forum.
• On returning to the UK in 1991, Linda became active in the Sheffield Hillsborough Constituency, was subagent in the 1992 general election and later constituency campaign co-ordinator.
• In 1993 she was elected as Vice-Chair of Sheffield District Labour Party with particular responsibility for campaigning.
• During her time working in Brussels, Linda was active in the Brussels Labour Party as Treasurer and Executive Committee member.
• She is a member of the Fabian Society and the UNISON Group of MEPs.

To read Linda's declaration of financial interests, please see the link at the bottom of this page.