Judith Kirton-Darling

Judith Kirton-Darling (born 2 June 1977) is a British Member of the European Parliament for the North East England region for the Labour Party. She was elected in 2014.

Judith 'Jude' Kirton-Darling was born on 2 June 1977 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In 1996, she matriculated into the University of Sheffield where she studied history and politics. In 1999, she graduated with an upper second class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. From 2000 to 2001 she studied at the University of Bath (with study abroad at the University of Pavia) and completed a Master of Science (MSc) degree in European Social Policy Analysis.

Kirton-Darling began her political career as a programme assistant with the Quaker Council for European Affairs from 1999 to 2000. On 18 May 2011, she was elected Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.

European Parliament

Kirton-Darling stood in the 2014 European Parliament election as a Labour Party candidate for the North East England region. With Labour having won the most votes in the region, she was elected a Member of the European Parliament. On 1 July 2014, she was elected to the Committee for International Trade and the Committee on Petitions.

Kirton-Darling is a practising Quaker.