Baroness Anne McIntosh

Areas of Interest

Politics and Government

Honorary Award

Honorary Doctor of Laws, 1997

Biography

Anne McIntosh graduated from University of Edinburgh with LLB Hons in 1977 and after training at the Scottish Bar, Anne was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh, in 1982. Since her election as the Member of Parliament for the Vale of York in 1997, Anne McIntosh has held Shadow Ministerial positions in the Department of Culture Media and Sport, Transport, Environment, Foreign Affairs, Work and Pensions, and Education, the latter with responsibility for Children, Young People and Families. Since June 2007 Anne has been Shadow Minister for Environment, with special responsibility for flooding, water, biodiversity and sustainable development. Following boundary changes, the Vale of York Constituency is disappearing at the next election, and in November 2006 Anne was elected as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the new seat of Thirsk and Malton. Anne's special interests include transport, tourism, legal affairs, animal welfare, Scandinavia and central and eastern Europe. Since January 2008 Anne has been on the Efra Select Committee.

In 1997, Anne McIntosh was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law.

Citation

"The Senate of Anglia Polytechnic University has great pleasure in recommending the award of an Honorary Doctorate of Laws on Anne McIntosh, Member of Parliament for the Vale of York and Member of the European Parliament for Essex North and Suffolk South.

The University in its mission makes a commitment to serve the region and assist its development within the European Union. We have found in Anne McIntosh a powerful ally who has worked tirelessly in order to give Essex the opportunity to play its full role as a European region, so we honour her today not only as a friend of the University but also as a staunch supporter of our county's involvement in the European project.

Anne McIntosh is a true European and an inspiration and model for the new generation of young people in this country who see their future in Europe and beyond. She speaks Danish, French, German, Spanish and Italian and undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Aarhus in Denmark after she graduated in law from the University of Edinburgh in 1977.

Her education included a period of work experience as a stagiaire with the European Commission in Brussels, and experience with served her well when she later became a political adviser with the European Democratic Group in the European Parliament.

She was selected to represent North East Essex in the European Parliament in June 1989 with a majority of over 39,000 and used her mandate to ensure that the interests of the people of Essex and its business community were vigorously represented.

As the British conservative spokesman on the European Parliament Transport Committee she is in a strong position to assist in the development of the economic infrastructure of the region. Throughout the dark days of growing Euro scepticism in the early 1990s she stood out as a strong advocate of the involvement of local businesses and services in European projects, creating the Anglia Enterprise in Europe Association as a platform for generating enthusiasm.

At the general election earlier this year she won the seat as Member of Parliament to represent the Vale of York for which we congratulate her.

Anne McIntosh has inspired many by her own enthusiasm and dedication, including colleagues who appreciate her advice and support in the development of a European dimension within the University and the securing of funding for students on European Social Fund programmes. As a member of the Chancellor's Council she acts as an ambassador for the University, to whose development and success she has contributed.

In honouring her today we make a public declaration of the commitment of this University to the strengthening of the European Union. At a graduation ceremony in Cambridge last week for students who had studied on our European Business Administration programme we were proud to graduate students from 12 of the 15 countries of the European Union.

It is therefore with great pleasure that, on behalf of the Chancellor of the University, I confer an Honorary Doctorate of Laws on Anne McIntosh MP, MEP."