| Birth name | Julia Rudman |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 16 July 1952 (age 74) |
| Birth place | Brockley, Lewisham, London, England, UK |
| Office | UKIP Spokesperson for Health and Social Care |
| Leader | Steve Crowther (Acting) Henry Bolton |
| Term start | 11 June 2017 |
| Term end | 22 January 2018 |
| Predecessor | Suzanne Evans |
| Successor | Vacant |
| Office 1 | UKIP Spokesperson for the Environment |
| Term start 1 | 29 November 2016 |
| Term end 1 | 22 January 2017 |
| Predecessor 1 | Office established |
| Successor 1 | Stuart Agnew |
| Leader 1 | Paul Nuttall Steve Crowther[1] (Acting) Henry Bolton |
| Office 2 | UKIP Spokesperson for Science |
| Leader 2 | Nigel Farage Diane James Nigel Farage (Acting) |
| Term start 2 | 24 July 2014 |
| Term end 2 | 29 November 2016 |
| Constituency mp 4 | South West England |
| Parliament 4 | European |
| Term start 4 | 1 July 2014 |
| Term end 4 | 1 July 2019[2][3] |
| Predecessor 4 | Trevor Colman |
| Successor 4 | Ann Widdecombe |
| Party | Reform UK (2019–present) |
| Other party | SDP (1981–1988) 'Continuing' SDP (1988–1990) UKIP (1993–2018) Independent (2018–2019) |
| Alma mater | University of Bath |
| Spouse | Ken Reid (m. 1987) |
Julia Reid (née Rudman; born 16 July 1952) is a British politician and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the South West England region.
Education and early career
She was educated at Bentley Grammar School, Calne, and the University of Bath, where she graduated with a degree in biochemistry, later obtaining a PhD in pharmacology. She worked as a diabetes laboratory researcher at Bath's Royal United Hospital until being made redundant in 2009.
Political career
Reid joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during its inaugural year, 1981, and stayed with the party until its merger with the Liberals in 1988. Reid opposed the pro-EEC stance of the new Liberal Democrats and instead joined the continuing SDP, which turned out to be short-lived.
In 1993, Reid joined the newly founded UK Independence Party (UKIP). She was fourth on the South West region party list for the 2009 European election. In 2010, she contested the new seat of Chippenham in the general election, finishing fourth with 1,783 votes (3.4%). In 2011, she became a research assistant for UKIP MEP Trevor Colman. She was elected in 2014 for UKIP in the South West England region of the European Parliament.[4] She contested Chippenham again in 2015, coming third.[5]
Reid left UKIP in December 2018 in protest at the party's move to the right and, as the "final straw", the appointment of Tommy Robinson as an advisor.[6] She joined the new Brexit Party in February 2019.
In local government, Reid was elected to Calne town council in 2013.[7]
References
- ^ Steve Crowther (statement). "UKIP-Interim leader selected". UKIP-News and Media
- ^ "Key dates ahead". European Parliament. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "Key dates ahead". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "vote 2014 – South West". BBC. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ "Chippenham | Parliamentary on Thursday 7 May 2015". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ Dr Julia Reid MEP (2018-12-08). ""PRESS RELEASE: Former UKIP Health Spokesperson, Dr Julia Reid MEP, has quit the party in protest over the direction it has taken over the past few months, citing the appointment of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) as "the final straw".". No. 1071389349470789632. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
- ^ "Calne (North) | Town and parish election on Thursday 2 May 2013 | Results | Elections | Wiltshire Council". elections.wiltshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-03-15.