Neil Parish

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Neil Parish (born May 26, 1956 in Bridgwater, Somerset) is a British politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the South West England region for the Conservative Party. He was first elected to the European Parliament in 1999.

Along with Caroline Jackson and Giles Chichester, he is one of three Conservative MEPs representing the region. MEPs are elected under a system of proportional representation and in the 2004 elections, he was chosen by Conservative members to head the Party list in the South West. The Rock of Gibraltar was attached to the region in 2004.

Local Government has featured strongly in his political career and he has served as Parish, District and County Councillor in Somerset. He cut his political teeth in South Wales in 1997 when he contested Pontypool. He narrowly missed out being returned to Westminster by 24,536 votes!

In December 2001, he was appointed Conservative spokesman on agriculture and he is the delegation’s deputy chief whip.

In 2007, he was made Chairman of the agriculture and rural development committee in the European Parliament. He also sits on the fisheries committee.

He was instrumental in setting up the year long European Parliament's public Inquiry into the Foot and Mouth Outbreak and he is also a member of the European Parliament’s inquiry into the collapse of Equitable Life.

Before entering politics, he managed the family farm in Somerset. He is married to Sue and they have two children, Jonathan and Harriet 'the spy' Parish.

He is also the Conservative spokesman for Tiverton in Devon, and will become the Parliamentary candidate for the reformed seat (which will also cover Axminster and Seaton, currently part of the East Devon constiuency) at the next general election. The seat is currently held by popular Conservative MP, Angela Browning.