Luisa Porritt Explained

Luisa Porritt
Party:Liberal Democrats
Office4:Honorary President of Young Liberals
Term Start4:2021[1]
Office:Member of the European Parliament
for London
Term Start:2 July 2019
Term End:31 January 2020
Predecessor:Mary Honeyball
Successor:Position abolished
Office1:Lib Dem Group Leader on Camden Council
Term Start1:7 September 2020
Term End1:May 2022
Deputy1:Tom Simon
Predecessor1:Flick Rea
Successor1:Tom Simon
Office2:Member of Camden London Borough Council for Belsize
Term Start2:3 May 2018
Term End2:5 May 2022
Predecessor2:Leila Roy
Successor2:Judy Dixey
Parliament:European
Birth Date:1987 5, df=yes
Birth Place:Royal Free Hospital, London, England
Residence:Camden
Alma Mater:Royal Holloway, University of London
Sciences Po Paris

Luisa Manon Porritt (born 23 May 1987) is a British Liberal Democrat politician.

She was elected as a Councillor for Belsize ward in Camden in 2018 and served as the leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council from 2020 to 2022.

She also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for London from 2019 to 2020.[2] [3] and was the party's candidate for the 2021 London mayoral election where she failed to achieve 5% of the vote and lost her deposit.

Porritt ran to become the Liberal Democrat candidate for the parliamentary constituency of Sutton and Cheam for the 2024 general election.[4] However, she did not win the selection, losing to Luke Taylor, who went on to win the seat.[5]

Early life and education

Luisa Manon Porritt was born at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead on 23 May 1987.[6]

She grew up in Camden and was educated at a local private school.[7] She earned a degree in history from Royal Holloway, University of London in 2008 and went on to complete a Master's degree at Sciences Po Paris.[8] [9]

Career

Before her political career, Porritt worked as a journalist, a consultant for strategic advisory firm Global Counsel, and a political researcher and advisor for Shriti Vadera.[10] In 2021, Porritt became Head of Investment Content at PR firm Edelman Smithfield.[11]

Political career

Camden Council

Porritt joined the Liberal Democrats a few days after the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016.[12] She became a Liberal Democrat councillor for the London Borough of Camden in 2018.[13] She gained a seat for the marginal council ward of Belsize from the Conservative incumbent by nine votes, following a recount.[14] She became leader the Liberal Democrat group on Camden Council on 7 September 2020.[15]

Porritt stood down as a Camden councillor at the 2022 Camden London Borough Council election.[16]

She later explained as part of a speech to her party's annual conference that one of the reasons she had been forced to leave Camden was due to the areas high house prices.[17]

European Parliament

In the 2019 European Parliament election, she was third on the Liberal Democrat list for the London constituency. The Liberal Democrats won 27% of the vote, winning three seats, so Porritt was elected as a Member of the European Parliament.[18] She was appointed deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the European Parliament.[19] During her time as an MEP, Porritt brought resolutions calling on Iran to release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.[20]

London mayoral candidate

Porritt was reported to be "seriously considering" putting her name forward to be the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2021 London mayoral election after Siobhan Benita withdrew from the race following its postponement from the original May 2020 date.[21] She won the selection against the option to reopen nominations on 13 October 2020 after the only other shortlisted candidate, Geeta Sidhu-Robb, was suspended from the Liberal Democrats following antisemitism.

Porritt called for empty offices to be turned into affordable housing,[22] and reform of stop and search.[23] She has been critical of the government's handling of coronavirus, calling for a circuit breaker lockdown when London was put into Tier 2 restrictions in October 2020,[24] and Sadiq Khan's negotiations on the future of Transport For London.[25]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.youngliberals.uk/honorary-officers
  2. Web site: The UK's European elections 2019 . BBC News . 26 May 2019 . 29 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190429002937/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/crjeqkdevwvt/the-uks-european-elections-2019 . live .
  3. Web site: Live updates as Brexit Party takes first two seats. 26 May 2019. Evening Standard. 26 May 2019. 26 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190526105025/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tory-leadership-news-live-environment-secretary-michael-gove-to-enter-race-after-raab-and-leadsom-a4151711.html. live.
  4. Web site: Tories relieved as LibDems opt for lightweights in Sutton. 16 April 2024. Inside Croydon.
  5. News: Sutton and Cheam - General Election results 2024 . BBC News . 4 July 2024.
  6. Web site: Taylor. Harry. EU elections: Belsize councillor Luisa Porritt bids to become an MEP on birthday. 2020-08-06. Hampstead Highgate Express. 23 April 2019. en. 1 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201201205429/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/belsize-camden-councillor-hopes-for-birthday-ballot-delight-1-6011476. live.
  7. Web site: A 'safer, fairer and greener' London - Belsize's Luisa in line for mayoral race. 21 September 2020. 2020-11-03. 22 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022213859/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/lib-dems-luisa-porritt-ham-high-interview-1-6844971. live.
  8. Web site: Alumni Generations. 24–25. 2011. 15. Higher – The Magazine for the alumni of Royal Holloway and Bedford [colleges]. 27 May 2019. 27 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190527101638/https://manualzz.com/doc/31913636/higher-15---royal-holloway--university-of-london. live.
  9. Web site: 2020-10-13. Lib Dem mayoral candidate vows to speak for 'millennial Londoners'. 2020-10-13. Evening Standard. en. 16 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201016152920/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/lib-dem-london-mayoral-candidate-luisa-porritt-interview-a4569296.html. live.
  10. Web site: 2015-09-16. Luisa Porritt. Business Insider. 2021-05-16. en. 16 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210516215912/https://www.businessinsider.com/author/luisa-porritt?r=US&IR=T. live.
  11. Web site: Edelman hires former Mayor of London candidate and ex-MEP in new investment content role . John . Harrington . 7 September 2021 . . 23 September 2021 . 18 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211118150720/https://www.prweek.com/article/1726648/edelman-hires-former-mayor-london-candidate-ex-mep-new-investment-content-role . live .
  12. Web site: Q&A: My Belsize Park, by Cllr Luisa Porritt. 5 July 2018. Archant (Hampstead & Highgate Express), Norwich. 18 October 2020. 18 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201018124651/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/q-a-cllr-louisa-porritt-on-her-passion-for-belsize-park-1-5591831. live.
  13. Web site: EU elections: Camden councillor Luisa Porritt elected MEP for London as Lib Dems take 27% of votes in capital. 27 May 2019. Archant (Hampstead & Highgate Express), Norwich. 27 May 2019. 27 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190527095854/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/eu-elections-camden-lib-dem-luisa-porritt-becomes-mep-for-london-1-6072866. live.
  14. News: Belsize: Lib Dems take seats from the Tories after dramatic recount . 4 May 2018 . Camden New Journal . 30 May 2019 . 30 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190530113321/http://camdennewjournal.com/article/belsize-lib-dems-take-seats-from-the-tories-after-dramatic-recount . live .
  15. Web site: Taylor . Harry . Longstanding Camden Lib Dem leader Flick Rea 'passes on the baton', with Luisa Porritt taking over borough's third party . 2020-09-10 . Hampstead Highgate Express . 7 September 2020 . en . 7 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200907185408/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/flick-rea-camden-lib-dem-leader-steps-down-in-favour-of-luisa-porritt-1-6826594 . live .
  16. Web site: Camden Lib Dem leader Luisa Porritt to stand down at elections. 3 February 2022. 14 February 2022. Camden New Journal. Richard. Osley.
  17. Web site: Lib Dems in Bournemouth: Former leader tells conference that she was priced out of Camden by housing costs. 28 September 2023. 28 April 2024. Camden New Journal. Richard. Osley.
  18. Web site: Taylor . Harry . EU elections: Camden councillor Luisa Porritt elected MEP for London as Lib Dems take 27% of votes in capital . 2020-08-06 . Hampstead Highgate Express . 26 May 2019 . en . 27 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190527095854/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/eu-elections-camden-lib-dem-luisa-porritt-becomes-mep-for-london-1-6072866 . live .
  19. Web site: Taylor . Harry . Camden MEP Luisa Porritt elected as Liberal Democrat's European Parliament deputy leader . 2020-08-06 . Hampstead Highgate Express . 19 June 2019 . en . 28 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200928000119/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/belsize-councillor-and-new-mep-becomes-deputy-leader-of-lib-dems-1-6114185 . live .
  20. Web site: Camden MEP brings EU resolution calling on Iran to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and slamming its protester crackdown . 20 December 2019 . 3 November 2020 . 27 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201027185654/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/free-nazanin-camden-mep-raises-nazanin-s-case-again-and-slams-iranian-protester-crackdown-1-6435504 . live .
  21. Web site: Taylor. Harry. Belsize councillor Luisa Porritt 'seriously considering' Lib Dem mayoral candidate bid. 2020-08-06. Hampstead Highgate Express. 4 August 2020. en. 6 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200806145433/https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/luisa-porritt-considers-london-mayoral-candidacy-bid-1-6775695. live.
  22. Web site: New Lib Dem mayoral candidate calls for City of London offices to be converted into homes. 13 October 2020. 3 November 2020. 1 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101131948/https://www.cityam.com/new-lib-dem-mayoral-candidate-calls-for-city-of-london-offices-to-be-converted-into-homes/. live.
  23. Web site: 'I would reform stop and search as the city's mayor'. 23 October 2020. 3 November 2020. 5 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201105082214/http://camdennewjournal.com/article/i-would-reform-stop-and-search-as-the-citys-mayor. live.
  24. Web site: Luisa Porritt: New lockdown restrictions due to Government incompetence. 15 October 2020. 3 November 2020. 30 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201030040117/https://london-tv.co.uk/luisa-porritt-new-lockdown-restrictions-due-to-government-incompetence/. live.
  25. Web site: 'TfL bailout deal done to keep London's Tube and buses running'. 2 November 2020. 3 November 2020. 1 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101122727/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/tfl-bailout-deal-agreed-to-keep-london-s-b36628.html. live.

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