Barbara Gibson

Barbara Gibson is a British politician and academic, who was the Liberal Democrats Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of England between 2019 and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU.

She is a member of the Committee on International Trade where she plays a key role in deciding whether the EU should lower tariffs or harmonise regulations between countries outside of the EU. Gibson is also a member of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly as well a Substitute on three other EU Parliamentary bodies: the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Regional Development and the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Prior to taking her place as an MEP, Gibson was elected to Hertfordshire County Council in 2017, winning her seat from the Conservatives who had held it since 2009.

She holds a PhD in Intercultural Communication and has lectured on this topic in the context of global business for universities and business schools in the UK and across Europe, including Birkbeck, University of London.

With more than 25 years’ experience as a business communication professional, she has worked with companies across the world; is a past international chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC); past-president of SIETAR UK (the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research); and a past International Group Chair of the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations).

She is expected to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Welwyn Hatfield at the next general election.