Sarah Ann Ludford, Baroness Ludford (born 14 March 1951) is a British-Irish

Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...

politician and member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. She served as a

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(MEP) for London from 1999 until 2014.

Early life and education

Ludworth was born in the Blyth Rural District of East Suffolk to an English father and an Irish mother and grew up in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

. On a scholarship, she attended the independent school Portsmouth High School. She went on to graduate with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

and a

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, both from the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...

. She subsequently qualified as a barrister, joining

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in 1979.

Political career

Ludford was created a life peer as Baroness Ludford, of Clerkenwell in the

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...

on 30 September 1997, after serving as a

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for the

1991–99. She was elected MEP for

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at the European Parliament election in 1999 and returned in 2004 and 2009, before losing her seat in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

.European Elections
at ''

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''. A 2008-rule change by the

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initially prevented Ludford (like other Eurodeputies) from taking her seat in the House of Lords in the

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due to her re-election to the European Parliament in the 2009 election. She remains a member of the Liberal Democrat groups

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and Friends of Turkey.

Political positions

A longstanding opponent of capital punishment, Baroness Ludford has been pressing European drug companies not to supply executioners in the United States with sedatives.

Other activities

Fair Trials International Fair Trials is a UK-registered non-governmental organization which works for fair trials according to international standards of justice and the right to a fair trial, identifying where criminal justice is failing, alerting the world to the probl ...

, Patron *

JUSTICE Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

, Vice President

Personal life

Ludford lives in Islington. She was married to Steve Hitchins, Leader of Islington Borough Council (2000–06) until his death in September 2019.

References

External links

www.burkespeerage.comSarah Ludford MEP
official site
Sarah Ludford
profile at the European Parliament

profile at the site of the Liberal Democrats {{DEFAULTSORT:Ludford, Baroness Ludford, Sarah Living people 1951 births 20th-century women MEPs for England 21st-century women MEPs for England Alumni of the London School of Economics Councillors in the London Borough of Islington Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers Liberal Democrats (UK) MEPs MEPs for England 1999–2004 MEPs for England 2004–2009 MEPs for England 2009–2014 People educated at Portsmouth High School (Southsea) People from Halesworth Politicians from Hampshire Politicians from Suffolk English people of Irish descent Women councillors in England Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II