Peter John Roussel Luff, Chairman of the European Movement UK, and director of Action for a Global Climate Community; formerly Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society (1997–2001); Director of The European Movement UK and Vice Chair, The International European Movement (1986–1995) Funding and Marketing Director of the Social Democratic Party (1981–1987) and Assistant Director of Amnesty International UK (1974–1978)
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He was born in Brussels 14 September 1946, educated at Eltham College and Swansea University where he graduated in politics and international relations. He married Carolyn Luff in 1969 and has four children.
His first post was with the Voluntary Committee on Overseas Aid and Development and subsequently as a Counsellor with the UK Immigrants Advisory Service. He was appointed Assistant Director of Amnesty International U in 1974, where he directed several country campaigns and organised the first UK Trades Union Human Rights conference. With John Cleese, he originated an produced ‘A Poke in the Eye’ and ‘The Mermaids Frolics’, the first two shows in The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979) comedy series with a cast including Monty Python, Beyond the Fringe, the Goodies, Eleanor Bron, John Bird and John Fortune, Sir Peter Ustinov, Barry Humphries and John Williams. In 2002, he co-produced, with Caroline Warner, another comedy revue – ‘Peter Cook: a Posthumorous Tribute’ for The Peter Cook Foundation with a cast including Sir David Frost, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Dilly Keane, Sandy Tostvig, Griff Rhys Jones, Clive Anderson, Jimmy Carr, Angus Deayton, David Baddiel, Jonathan Ross, Josie Lawrence, Bonnie Langford and Mark Watson.
He was an assistant producer on the series Prisoners of Conscience at the BBC (1979–1981). Until 2001, Peter Luff was Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society , a pan-Commonwealth non-governmental organisation, supported by a worldwide membership, working to inform and educate people in all 54 member states about the work and importance of the Commonwealth.
He has written three books: The Simple Guide to Maastricht, The Reform of the United Nations with Georges Berthoin and A Brilliant Conspiracy – a study of the European federal agenda and a pamphlet. He has broadcast regularly on television and radio news and discussion programmes and has been a panellist on the BBC’s Any Questions and Question Time programmes.
Peter Luff is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts & Manufacturers and the Royal Geographical Society; a member of the Royal Institute for International Affairs and is a former Trustee of Responding to Conflict and the European Multicultural Foundation, and on the International Council of The World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy. He is also a member of the executive committee of Chelsea: arts festival.
Action for a Global Climate Community; A new initiative led by the European Union and India that aims to unite a group of countries – north and south – in a commitment to reduce their carbon emissions further and faster than existing Kyoto obligations.
The European Movement is Britain's pro-European campaigning organisation. It argues that the European Union should become more democratic, effective and accountable, and that Britain should play a full role in reforming and developing the EU. The current President of the European Movement UK is Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP and the current chairman is Peter Luff. The European Movement is independent of the British Government, from political parties, or from the European Union or any of its institutions.