STRUAN STEVENSON

Biography

A renowned political activist and campaigner of many years' standing, Struan represented Scotland in the European Parliament from 1999 until 2014.

Born in 1948, the son of an Ayrshire farmer in South West Scotland, Struan entered local politics at the age of 22, winning election to his local council. He served as a councillor for 22 years, rising to the position of Council Leader. He fought three separate Westminster elections as a candidate for the Conservative Party before finally being elected as a Euro MP in 1999.

Struan is a well-known public speaker, debater, broadcaster and regular contributor to the press. He is the author of 5 books 'CRYING FOREVER - A Nuclear Diary' (2006) and 'STALIN'S LEGACY - The Soviet War on Nature' (2012). A third book 'SO MUCH WIND - The Myth of Green Energy' was published in 2013 and a fourth book 'SELF-SACRIFICE - Life with the Iranian Mojahedin' was published in May 2015. His latest book 'THE COURSE OF HISTORY - Ten Meals That Changed The World' was published in October 2017. An accomplished speaker, Struan has undertaken lecture tours and addressed audiences around the world.

His broad interests embrace international and humanitarian affairs. Struan was President of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq from 2009-2014 and President of the Friends of Free Iran Intergroup from 2002-2014, during which time he travelled regularly to Iraq, Kurdistan and the Middle East.

He is also an expert on Central Asia. In 2010 he was appointed as 'Roving Ambassador' or 'Personal Representative of the Chairman in Office (Kazakhstan)' of the Organisation for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and tasked with the job of drawing up a 250 page report on the environmental problems facing the five Central Asian Republics. This necessitated extensive travel through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Since 1999, he has campaigned widely to attract aid for the victims of the Soviet nuclear testing programme in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate, an Honorary Professorship and the Freedom of the City of Semipalatinsk for his work. In 2007 he was invested into the order of 'Shapagat' (charity) by the President of Kazakhstan. In 2009 Struan visited Znamenka, one of the villages worst affected by radiation, to unveil a plaque re-naming the village main street as 'Struan Stevenson Street'. It was formerly called 'Lenin Street'!

In 2004 he won a $50,000 prize for his entry in an International Essay Competition (sponsored by the US-based John Templeton Foundation) for a feature about the suffering of the people of Semipalatinsk. He donated the entire $50,000 prize to Mercy Corps Scotland to assist with their work in Semipalatinsk. All the proceeds from the sales of his book 'Crying Forever', on the Soviet nuclear tests - over $40,000 - have been presented to the oncology and children's hospitals in Semipalatinsk. In 2012, Struan presented a further $10,000 to support social projects in Kazakhstan. This donation took the total that Struan has raised to $115,000.

Struan was President of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament and is an expert on international fisheries and maritime affairs. He is also a leading animal welfare campaigner. He campaigned for eight years for an EU-wide ban on cat and dog fur imports from Asia, which the European Parliament unanimously approved in June 2007. The legislation came into effect in January 2009 across all 28 member states.

Struan retired from the European Parliament in July 2014. He founded and is President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA). He is an international lecturer on human rights in the Middle East and a weekly columnist with The Herald (Scotland).

Struan is married to Pat, a freelance journalist and former News Editor with BBC Radio Scotland and has two adult sons and 3 grandsons.