Graham Watson

Sir Graham Watson
President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
In office 25 November 2011 – 21 November 2015
Preceded by	Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
Succeeded by	Hans van Baalen
Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament
In office 13 July 2004 – 1 July 2009
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Guy Verhofstadt
Leader of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party in the European Parliament
In office 6 January 2002 – 13 July 2004
Preceded by	Pat Cox
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the European Parliament for South West England
In office 20 July 1999 – 2 July 2014
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Clare Moody
Member of the European Parliament for Somerset and North Devon
In office 18 July 1994 – 20 July 1999
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	(1956-03-23) 23 March 1956 Rothesay, United Kingdom
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Spouse(s)	Rita Watson
Children	1 daughter 1 son
Alma mater	Heriot-Watt University

Sir Graham Robert Watson (born 23 March 1956) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England from 1994 until 2014 and was the leader of the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party 2002–2004 and the first leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe 2004–2009.^[1] From 2011 until 2015 he was the President of the ALDE Party. He currently sits as a UK Member on the European Economic and Social Committee.

Early life

Graham Watson was born in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute (Scotland, United Kingdom), the eldest of six children. His father was an officer in the Royal Navy and his mother a teacher. Watson was educated at the City of Bath Boys' School. He returned to Scotland to attend Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh where he graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in modern languages.^[1] He worked first as a freelance interpreter and translator and then (1980–83) as an administrator at Paisley College of Technology. He now speaks four European languages.

Watson began his political activity in the National League of Young Liberals in 1972. As international officer of the Scottish Young Liberals he became involved in the International Federation of Liberal Youth, becoming a vice-president (1977) then General Secretary (1979) of the organisation.^[2] He was a founder of the European Communities' Youth Forum.^[1] He served as a council member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party between 1983 and 1993.^[2] Between 1983 and 1987 he also served as head of the private office of then leader of the British Liberal Party, Sir David Steel.^[1]

In 1988 he began work for the bank HSBC in London and Hong Kong. His time there encompassed three months with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and gave him an interest in the Far East. He has travelled widely in the region and speaks some Mandarin Chinese.^[1]

European Parliament

In the 1994 European Parliamentary election he was elected for Somerset and North Devon with a majority of over 22,500. Watson,^[1] was the first Liberal Democrat returned from a British constituency to serve in the European Parliament. Watson and Robin Teverson, elected later the same night, sat with the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR).^[1] During this term, Watson served on two committees; the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the Committee on Budgets,^[1] and acted as whip for the ELDR group until 1996.^[2]

2014 European Elections

Sir Graham Watson lost his seat at the European Parliament in the elections of May 2014, despite having polled 10.7% of the vote, the largest vote share of any UK Liberal Democrat in the 2014 EP election.

In 2015 Watson was appointed by the UK Government to sit on the European Economic and Social Committee, an advisory chamber with a role similar to that of the UK’s House of Lords but with only a five year mandate. He sits on the Transport and Energy section and on the Foreign Affairs section and from 2015-17 was chairman of the EESC’s China Contact Group.

Other activities and family

Watson lived in Langport, Somerset, with his wife and two children from 1994 to 2017. They now live in Edinburgh and in Brussels.^[1] His wife, Rita, is from Italy^[8] and their children, one daughter called Frederica and one son called Gregory,^[9] were born in 1992 and 1995 respectively.^[1] Watson enjoys sailing, choir singing and music.^[1] He indulges in the restoration of Art Nouveau houses and classic wooden yachts.

Watson is a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which advocates for democratic reformation of the United Nations.^[10]

Watson was knighted in the 2011 Birthday Honours for political and public service. He is also the recipient of honours from the Republic of China, Georgia and Gibraltar.

Bibliography

• Watson, Graham, Andrew Burgess (2014). Continental Drift. Bagehot Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9931125-0-8
• Watson, Graham, Andrew Burgess (2012). Letters from Europe. Bagehot Publishing.| ISBN 978-0-9545745-8-1
• Watson, Graham (2010). Building a Liberal Europe: The ALDE Project. John Harper Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9564508-1-4.
• Watson, Graham; Christine Gilmore (2006). The Power of Speech. Bagehot Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9545745-4-3.
• Watson, Graham; Simon Titley (2006). Liberalism - Something to Shout About. Bagehot Publishing.
• Watson, Graham; Katharine Durrant (2005). Liberal Democracy & Globalisation. Bagehot Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9545745-2-9.
• Watson, Graham; Sarah Kent (2004). EU've Got Mail!: Liberal Letters from the European Parliament. Bagehot Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9545745-1-2.
• Watson, Graham; Sarah Kent (1989–2003). Liberal Language: Speeches and Essays. Bagehot Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9545745-0-5.
• Watson, Graham; Howard Mollet (2001). 2020 Vision.
• Watson, Graham; Joanna Hazelwood (2000). To the Power of Ten: UK Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament. Centre for Reform. ISBN 978-1-902622-17-0.
• Watson, Graham (1980). The Liberals in the North-South dialogue.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Graham Watson.

• Graham Watson MEP, official site
• MEP Profile of Graham Watson, European Parliament
• Biographical details: Graham Watson MEP, ALDE
• Graham Watson Profile, UK Liberal Democrats