Richard Stuart Howitt (born 5 April 1961) is a British politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of England (formerly Essex South) from 1994 to 2016. A member of the Labour Party, he has represented Petersfield on the Cambridgeshire County Council since 2021.

Background

Howitt was born in Reading, Berkshire. He was brought up in a single-parent family, in a council house, and went to a comprehensive school. He graduated with a BA degree in Philosophy, politics and economics from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford in 1982 and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from the University of Hertfordshire.

After leaving university, he worked for four years in the voluntary sector and eight years for a disability organisation.

Political activity

Howitt served as a councillor on Harlow District Council from 1983 to 1995, including three years as Leader of the council. He was the Labour Party candidate in Billericay in the 1987 general election.

Howitt helped to negotiate a £22 million European Union fund to help finance food banks in the UK, but in 2013 the UK government refused to accept the funds. Howitt stated:

Howitt was a member of the Labour Party's National Policy Forum between 1994 and 2016.

In September 2016, Howitt announced his resignation from the European Parliament to become chief executive of the International Integrated Reporting Council. The Labour candidate next on the party list from the 2014 European Elections, Alex Mayer, replaced him as MEP.

In May 2021, he was elected as a member of Cambridgeshire County Council. He is Chair of the Adults and Health Committee.

References

  • Official website
  • Profile at European Parliament website
  • HOWITT, Richard Stuart, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012