Linda McAvan

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox officeholder Linda McAvan Template:Post-nominals (born 2 December 1962) is a British Labour Party politician, who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire South and Yorkshire and the Humber from 1998, when she was first elected in a by-election following the resignation of Norman West. She served until her resignation on 19 April 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Before being elected McAvan worked for Barnsley Borough Council and was the European Officer for the Coalfields Community Campaign.

Member of the European Parliament

McAvan was a Member of the European Parliament since 1998. From 2014 until 2019, she served as chairwoman of the Committee on Development. In this capacity, she co-chaired (alongside David McAllister) the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG), which oversees the Parliament's election observation missions.<ref>Members of the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) European Parliament</ref>

In addition to her committee assignments, McAvan was a member of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She chaired the European Parliament's Fair Trade Working Group and serves on the European Parliament Intergroup on the Western Sahara<ref>Members Template:Webarchive European Parliament Intergroup on Western Sahara.</ref> as well as on the European Parliament Intergroup on Children's Rights.<ref>Members of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children's Rights European Parliament.</ref> She is also a supporter of the MEP Heart Group, a group of parliamentarians who have an interest in promoting measures that will help reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).<ref>Supporters MEP Heart Group.</ref>

Between 2002 and 2003, McAvan served as one of 16 representatives of the European Parliament in the Convention on the Future of Europe, led by former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

In 2002, McAvan was voted UK European Woman of the Year; she received her award from the former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, who praised her efforts to engage women in the future of Europe.<ref>MEP named EU woman of year European Voice, 7 May 2002.</ref> Later that year, however, she lost out against Gary Titley in the contest to select a new leader of British Labour MEPs.<ref>Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (5 September 2002), Labour MEPs pick Left-winger as fifth leader in five years The Daily Telegraph.</ref>

From 2004 to 2009, McAvan served as treasurer of the European Parliament's Socialist Group.<ref>Véronique Vallières (24 November 2004), EPP-ED denies Christmas gifts cash blunder European Voice.</ref> In June 2007 she was elected vice president of the group.

Between 2004 and 2014, McAvan served on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. In 2009, she drafted the European Parliament's report on monitoring medicine safety.<ref>A less green Parliament? European Voice, 4 February 2009.</ref> She also sat on the Temporary Committee on Climate Change between 2007 and 2009; in this capacity, she was part of the Parliament's delegations to the 2008 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań<ref>Jennifer Rankin (26 November 2008), MEPs flock to Poznań meeting European Voice.</ref> and to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.<ref>The EP's official delegation to the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change European Parliament.</ref>

Labour Party members elected McAvan to be the top-ranked Labour candidate [1] for Yorkshire and the Humber in the 2009 European elections, narrowly beating Richard Corbett for the top place. In 2014, she again topped the ballot. She stood down as an MEP on 19 April 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since leaving the European Parliament, McAvan has been working as executive director for European relations at the European Climate Foundation.<ref>Lili Bayer (January 20, 2021), Former British MEPs take on Brussels Bubble Politico Europe.</ref>

National Coal Mining Museum for England, Member of the Steering Committee
Reconsidering European Contributions to Global Justice (GLOBUS), Member of the Policy Advisory Board<ref>Policy Advisory Board Reconsidering European Contributions to Global Justice (GLOBUS).</ref>

McAvan is married to Paul Blomfield, who, from 2010 to 2024, was the Labour MP for Sheffield Central.<ref>Paul Blomfield: About Paul Template:Webarchive</ref> Her constituency office was in Wath-upon-Dearne.

Yorkshire & Humber Labour European election 2009 candidates website www.labour4yorkshire.eu.