Bill Newton Dunn
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Newton Dunn (born 3 October 1941 in Greywell
, Hampshire
) is a British
politician. He is a Member of the European Parliament
for the East Midlands
for the Liberal Democrats.
in Wiltshire
from 1955-9, then gained a Diploma from the University of Paris
(the Sorbonne) in 1960. He completed an MA in Natural Sciences
(Physics and Chemistry) in 1963 at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
. He gained a tri-lingual MBA
from the INSEAD
Business School at Fontainebleau
, which no doubt fuelled his interest in European matters where he studied from 1965-6. From 1963-79, he worked in industry.
MEP from 1979 to 1994 for Lincolnshire
. After a spell out of the Parliament, he was re-elected a Conservative MEP for the East Midlands in 1999. He defected to the Liberal Democrats in 2000 because he felt that the Conservatives were increasingly negative towards the prospect of Britain playing a leading role in Europe.
Newton Dunn was elected as a Lib Dem MEP for the first time in the European elections, 2004. He claims to have the highest attendance record of all the UK MEPs.
Newton Dunn coined the now much-used phrase Democratic deficit
in a pamphlet in the 1980s.
In 2010 he signed the Spinelli Group
Manifesto in favour of a Federal Europe.
and West London. His son is Tom Newton Dunn, an award-winning
journalist
for The Sun
newspaper. His daughter is Daisy Newton Dunn, a TV producer for the BBC.
Greywell
Greywell is a small village and civil parish in Hampshire, England.Greywell village is a past winner of the Best Kept Village in Hampshire competition and a recent winner of Best Small Village in Hampshire. The Basingstoke Canal runs underneath part of the village through the 1.1 km long...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician. He is a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
for the Liberal Democrats.
Early life
He attended the independent Marlborough CollegeMarlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
from 1955-9, then gained a Diploma from the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
(the Sorbonne) in 1960. He completed an MA in Natural Sciences
Natural Sciences (Cambridge)
The Natural Sciences Tripos is one of the several courses which form the University of Cambridge system of undergraduate teaching...
(Physics and Chemistry) in 1963 at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
. He gained a tri-lingual MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the INSEAD
INSEAD
INSEAD is an international graduate business school and research institution. It has campuses in Europe , Asia , and the Middle East , as well as a research center in Israel...
Business School at Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
, which no doubt fuelled his interest in European matters where he studied from 1965-6. From 1963-79, he worked in industry.
Parliamentary career
He was a Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MEP from 1979 to 1994 for Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. After a spell out of the Parliament, he was re-elected a Conservative MEP for the East Midlands in 1999. He defected to the Liberal Democrats in 2000 because he felt that the Conservatives were increasingly negative towards the prospect of Britain playing a leading role in Europe.
Newton Dunn was elected as a Lib Dem MEP for the first time in the European elections, 2004. He claims to have the highest attendance record of all the UK MEPs.
Newton Dunn coined the now much-used phrase Democratic deficit
Democratic deficit
A democratic deficit is considered to be occurring when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions are seen to be falling short of fulfilling the principles of the parliamentary democracy in their practices or operation where representative and linked parliamentary integrity becomes...
in a pamphlet in the 1980s.
In 2010 he signed the Spinelli Group
Spinelli Group
The Spinelli Group is a pro-European initiative that was founded with a view to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union , by creating a network of citizens, think tanks, NGOs, academics, writers and politicians who support the idea of a federal and united Europe...
Manifesto in favour of a Federal Europe.
Personal life
He is married with two children, living in NavenbyNavenby
Navenby is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England. Lying south of Lincoln and north-northwest of Sleaford, Navenby has a population of 1,666 and is a dormitory village for Lincoln...
and West London. His son is Tom Newton Dunn, an award-winning
British Press Awards
The British Press Awards is an annual ceremony that celebrates the best of British journalism. Established in the 1970s, honours are voted on by a panel of journalists and newspaper executives...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper. His daughter is Daisy Newton Dunn, a TV producer for the BBC.
External links
- Bill Newton Dunn MEP official site
- Liberal Democrat MEPs
- Bill Newton Dunn profile at the European Parliament
- Bill Newton Dunn profile at the site of the Liberal Democrats
- East Midlands Liberal Democrats site for his constituency party
- YouTube