A new man in Brussels

On 5 November 2011, Liberal Democrat MEP for the West Midlands Liz Lynne announced that she would be stepping down from her position in February 2012. Fiona Hall, leader of the UK Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, wrote to LDEG to Thank Liz for her great work and to explain the situation:

"Liz Lynne will be hugely missed by the LDEPP team of MEPs when she stands down in February - for the past 12 years she has been working tirelessly to represent the West Midlands in the EP, with her contribution spanning a huge range of issues from anti-discrimination, supporting cancer patients and detailed technical work on employment and social affairs legislation."

"But as with every cloud, there is a silver lining and we are delighted to be welcoming Phil Bennion to the team as a very worthy successor. Phil has been a very active and hard headed Lib Dem campaigner in the West Midlands for 20 years and of course a keen Europhile, being involved with ELDR, a member of the IRC, chair of LDEG and editor of the much enjoyed Eurofile. With half of the EP mandate behind us and another half to go, this is the ideal time for Phil to step in, take over the reins and immediately hit the ground running - and I have no doubt that that is exactly what he will do!"

Fiona Hall

As our new man in Brussels prepares for his new role, Phil kindly agreed to a short interview with LDEG. Here's what he had to say...

LDEG: What triggered your interest in politics and the Liberal Democrats?

PB: I was Head Dissident at my grammar school and a fan of Jo Grimond. The combination made me realise that I was a Liberal by the age of 16. This represented a considerable maturing of my political stance, as at 14 I had professed to be an anarchist.

..and how about European politics?

PB: I've always been a Europhile. In the early days I saw a need for a third force between the US and USSR. The EU is a necessity to achieve a balance of non-military power, and particularly to ensure the furtherance of European interests. This is now more important than ever, as globalisation brings new economic and environmental challenges.

You have a great deal of experience as an independent farmer, and in political and community work. Which of these roles has best prepared you for life as an MEP?

PB: After running my own business for 26 years I know how difficult it can be to stay afloat. This will no doubt affect the way I do the job. EU politics is about developing consensus, negotiating and identifying potential allies. I've been doing this for the Lib Dems in ELDR and Liberal International for the past 6 years. This is my most valuable political experience.

Who's going to run the farm when you're in Brussels?

PB: All of the operations will be contracted out, but I'll still have to do the paperwork.

More importantly, who will write Eurofile??

PB: This will be a decision for the LDEG Executive Committee.

You are joining the Lib Dem MEP team during something of a European crisis. Assuming the EU and the single currency survive, what priorities would like the EU to focus on in the future?

PB: Ensuring European businesses can take on the competition from the BRICS and other developing nations and achieving a global deal on climate change.

If you had to write yourself a three line mission statement, what would it say?

PB: I am committed to doing all that I can to further food, energy and material security in the long term in a manner that conserves biodiversity and addresses climate change.

If you could ask one thing of the Liberal Democrats and its members, what would it be?

PB: Embrace the need to eradicate our structural deficit but champion capital investment. In 5 years we could be Italy and 5 years beyond that Greece f we do nothing.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

PB: Don't apologise for being pro European. You don't have to defend all of its decisions, but always make the case for the necessity of the EU. The UK is a small to medium-sized nation and lacks the power to defend its interests alone. Europe has to work together to make itself heard in a globalised world.

Phillip Bennion CV Highlights

Born 07/10/1954,Tamworth, Staffordshire

Education

• Aberdeen. BSc Agricultural Biology Class 2, Div 1 (1977)
• Newcastle upon Tyne. PhD entitled "Improving the yield of late sown Winter Oilseed Rape" awarded 1986.
• Birmingham. BA in History + Economic and Social History, Class 1 (1994).

Career

• Lecturer in Crop Production, Shuttleworth College, 1983-4.
• Arable farmer, self-employed, 1985 to present.
• Small arable farm of 106 hectares lying 6 miles north ofTamworth, including mixed soil types, but mainly silty clay loam. The farm is run as a one-man operation using a contractor for combining. The farm is owner-occupied and has been occupied by the family since 1934.

Farming related Committee Work

• NFU representative on Staffordshire Rural Forum and formerly on Environment Agency area group.
• Currently Chair of the MIN-NO project, a £5m DEFRA LINK research project aimed at reducing Nitrous Oxide emissions from arable farming.

Rural Economy

• Staffordshire Rural Forum; Vice Chairman 2003-09
• Staffordshire Rural Hub, Founding Chairman 2004-09.

Domestic Politics

• Liberal Democrat Councillor on Lichfield District Council, 1999 - 2011.
• Parliamentary candidate for Lichfield Constituency, 1997 & 2001, for the Tamworth Constituency in 2005 andTelfordin 2010.
• European Parliamentary Candidate for West Midlands in 1999, 2004 and 2009 being No2 on the Liberal Democrats' regional list in 2009.

Currently a member of the Liberal Democrats Federal Policy Committee, which takes responsibility for developing policy and drafting manifestos

Phillip has sat on many Policy Working Groups including Climate Change,Europeand Natural Environment and has drafted current Liberal Democrat policy on the CAP

International Politics

• Member of the Liberal Democrats International Relations Committee 2007 to present.
• Currently a member of the governing Council of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Group (ELDR).
• Liberal International; Currently a member of Liberal International British Group Executive Committee and a delegate at every LI Congress since 2005. Phillip also attends full LI Executive meetings mirroring his negotiating role on ELDR Council.
• Chair of Liberal Democrat European Group (LDEG) 2008 to present. Phillip launched Eurofile, a new magazine on European liberal politics in 2009.

Phillip is a member of the National Council of the European Movement (EM) and is also a regular roving speaker in schools and colleges for Europe Direct (now part of EM).

Other

• Interests include cricket (formerly as a Derbyshire County League player, now on the umpire's list.)
• The Arts including theatre (RSC full member), music (CBSO member;) and opera, (Friends of Opera North) and Art History (an option subject taken whilst at theUniversityofBirmingham).
• World Travel as an independent traveller.