Phil Bennion

Phillip Bennion (born 7 October 1954) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands from 2012 to 2014, and then from 2019 to 2020.

Phil Bennion
Bennion in 2014
Member of the European Parliament
for West Midlands
In office
2 July 2019 – 31 January 2020
Preceded byJames Carver
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
In office
6 February 2012 – 2 July 2014
Preceded byLiz Lynne
Succeeded byJames Carver
Personal details
Born (1954-10-07) 7 October 1954
Tamworth, Staffordshire
NationalityBritish
Political partyLiberal Democrats
Alma materUniversity of Aberdeen
Newcastle University
University of Birmingham
OccupationFarmer

Early life and education

Bennion was born in Tamworth, Staffordshire and educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. He went on to study agriculture and agronomy at Aberdeen and Newcastle. After returning to Staffordshire to run his family farm, he gained a second degree, in history and economic history, from the University of Birmingham.

Political career

Bennion advised Charles Kennedy on agricultural issues during his leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Bennion went on to serve on the party's federal policy committee for eight years.[1]

European parliament

He was second on the party list for the West Midlands constituency at the 2009 European Parliament election, but the party's 12% share of the vote entitled them to only one seat. When Liz Lynne stepped down in February 2012, electoral rules meant that Bennion, as the next Liberal Democrat candidate on the list, took her seat.[2] He stood for re-election in 2014 and was placed top of his party's list of candidates, but he lost his seat as the Liberal Democrats polled 5.6% of the vote, too little to secure one of the West Midlands' seven seats. He re-gained his seat in 2019.[3]

He sat on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Sub-Committee on Human Rights, and also acted as a substitute on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, as a member of the 9th Parliament from July 2019 to January 2020. [4]

Electoral History

He served as a councillor on Lichfield District Council from 1999 to 2011,

Staffordshire County Council, 2002–2005. By-election win in 2002 narrowly lost in May 2005.

Parliamentary candidate for Lichfield (UK Parliament constituency), 1997 & 2001, for the Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency) in 2005, Telford (UK Parliament constituency) in 2010 and Birmingham Hodge Hill (UK Parliament constituency) in 2015 and 2017

General election 1997: Lichfield[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Fabricant 20,853 42.9 N/A
Labour Susan Woodward 20,615 42.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Phil Bennion 5,473 11.3 N/A
Referendum George Seward 1,652 3.4 N/A
Majority 238 0.5 N/A
Turnout 48,593 77.5 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 2001: Lichfield[7][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Fabricant 20,480 49.1 6.2
Labour Martin Machray 16,054 38.5 3.9
Liberal Democrats Phil Bennion 4,462 10.7 0.6
UKIP John Phazey 684 1.6 N/A
Majority 4,426 10.6 10.1
Turnout 41,680 65.9 11.5
Conservative hold Swing 5.05
General election 2005: Tamworth[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Jenkins 18,801 43.0 6.0
Conservative Christopher Pincher 16,232 37.1 0.5
Liberal Democrats Phillip Bennion 6,175 14.1 2.4
Veritas Patrick Eston 1,320 3.0 N/A
UKIP Tom Simpson 1,212 2.8 1.1
Majority 2,569 5.9 6.5
Turnout 43,740 61.0 3.2
Labour hold Swing 2.8
General election 2010: Telford[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Wright 15,977 38.7 9.5
Conservative Tom Biggins 14,996 36.3 3.2
Liberal Democrats Phillip Bennion 6,399 15.5 1.4
UKIP Denis Allen 2,428 5.9 1.2
BNP Phil Spencer 1,513 3.7 N/A
Majority 981 2.4
Turnout 41,313 63.5 4.8
Labour hold Swing 6.3
General election 2015: Birmingham Hodge Hill[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liam Byrne 28,069 68.4 16.4
Conservative Kieran Mullan 4,707 11.5 0.2
UKIP Albert Duffen 4,651 11.3 9.7
Liberal Democrats Phil Bennion 2,624 6.4 21.3
Green Chris Nash 835 2.0
Communist Andy Chaffer 153 0.4
Majority 23,362 56.9 32.6
Turnout 41,039 54.5 1.1
Labour hold Swing 8.3
General election 2017: Birmingham, Hodge Hill[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liam Byrne 37,606 81.1 12.7
Conservative Ahmereen Reza 6,580 14.2 2.7
UKIP Mohammed Khan 1,016 2.2 9.1
Liberal Democrats Phil Bennion 805 1.7 4.7
Green Clare Thomas 387 0.8 1.2
Majority 31,026 66.9 10.0
Turnout 46,394 61.3 6.8
Labour hold Swing 5.0

European Parliamentary Candidate for West Midlands (European Parliament constituency) in 1999, 2004 and 2009, being elected to No2 on the Liberal Democrats’ regional list in 2009 taking his seat in 2012 after Liz Lynne stepped down. Phil was re-elected as no1 on the Liberal Democrats' regional list in 2019.

2019
Map showing highest polling party by counting area in the 2019 European Parliament election;
  Brexit Party
  Labour
  Liberal Democrats
2014 results
European Election 2019: West Midlands[15]
List Candidates Votes % ±
Brexit Party Rupert Lowe (1)
Martin Daubney (2)
Andrew England Kerr (5)
Vishal Khatri, Nikki Page, Laura Kevehazi, Katharine Harborne		 507,152
(169,050.67)		 37.66 +37.66
Labour Neena Gill (3)
Sion Simon, Julia Buckley, Ansar Khan, Zarah Sultana, Sam Hennessy, Liz Clements		 228,298 16.95 -9.76
Liberal Democrats Phil Bennion (4)
Ade Adeyemo, Jeanie Falconer, Jenny Wilkinson, Jennifer Gray, Beverley Nielsen, Lee Dargue		 219,982 16.33 +10.77
Green Ellie Chowns (6)
Diana Toynbee, Paul Woodhead, Julian Dean, Louis Stephen, Helen Heathfield, Kefentse Dennis		 143,520 10.66 +5.40
Conservative Anthea McIntyre (7)
Daniel Dalton, Suzanne Webb, Meirion Jenkins, Alex Philips, Mary Noone, Ahmed Ejaz		 135,279 10.04 -14.27
UKIP Ernest Valentine, Paul Williams, Graham Eardley, Paul Allen, Nigel Ely, Joe Smyth, Derek Bennett 66,934 4.97 -26.52
Change UK Stephen Dorrell, Charlotte Gath, Peter Wilding, Amrik Kandola, Joanna McKenna, Victor Odusanya, Lucinda Empson 45,673 3.39 +3.39
Turnout 1,355,222 33.1%
European Election 2014: West Midlands
List Candidates Votes % ±
UKIP Jill Seymour, James Carver, Bill Etheridge
Phil Henrick, Michael Wrench, Michael Green, Lyndon Jones[16][17]		 428,010
(142,670)		 31.5 +10.2
Labour Neena Gill, Siôn Simon
Lynda Waltho, Ansar Ali Khan, Olwen Hamer, Tony Ethapemi, Philippa Louise Roberts[17][18]		 363,033
(181,517)		 26.7 +9.7
Conservative Philip Bradbourn, Anthea McIntyre,
Daniel Dalton, Michael Burnett, Sibby Buckle, Daniel Sames, Alex Avern[17][19]		 330,470
(165,235)		 24.3 −3.8
Liberal Democrats Phil Bennion, Jonathan Webber, Christine Tinker, Ayoub Khan, Tim Bearder, Neville Farmer, John Redfern[17][20] 75,648 5.6 −6.4
Green Will Duckworth, Aldo Mussi, Vicky Duckworth, Tom Harris, Karl Macnaughton, Duncan Kerr, Laura Katherine Vesty[17][21] 71,464 5.3 −0.9
An Independence from Europe Mike Nattrass, Mark Nattrass, Joshna Pattni, Carl Henry Humphries, George Viner Forrest, Douglas Stephen Ingram, Paul Alders[17] 27,171 2.0 N/A
We Demand a Referendum Nikki Sinclaire, Andy Adris, Linda Brown, David Bennett, Judith Smart, Thomas Reid, Amanda Wilson[17][22] 23,426 1.7 N/A
BNP Michael Coleman, Jennifer Matthys, Kenneth Griffiths, Simon Patten, David Bradnock, Mark Badrick, Phil Kimberley[17][23] 20,643 1.5 −7.1
English Democrat Derek Hilling, Chris Newey, Stephen Paxton, Charles Hayward, Margaret Stoll, David Lane, Fred Bishop[17][24] 12,832 0.9 −1.4
NO2EU Dave Nellist, Pat Collins, Joanne Stevenson, Sophia Hussain, Paul Edward Reilly, Andrew Mark Chaffer, Amanda Jane Marfleet[17][23] 4,653 0.3 −0.7
Harmony Party Reg Mahrra[17] 1,857 0.1 N/A
Turnout 1,359,210 33.1 -1.7

Anthea McIntyre became an MEP in November 2011 when the relevant provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon came into effect, her addition being based on the 2009 vote. Phil Bennion became an MEP on the resignation of Liz Lynne.

European Election 2009: West Midlands[25][26]
List Candidates Votes % ±
Conservative Philip Bradbourn, Malcolm Harbour
Anthea McIntyre, Michael Burnett, Mark Spelman, Daniel Dalton		 396,847
(198,423.5)		 28.1 +0.7
UKIP Mike Nattrass, Nikki Sinclaire
Jill Seymour, Rustie Lee, Malcolm Hurst, Jonathan Oakton		 300,471
(150,235.5)		 21.3 +3.8
Labour Michael Cashman
Neena Gill, Claire Edwards, Anthony Painter, Victoria Quinn, Mohammed Nazir		 240,201 17.0 −6.4
Liberal Democrats Liz Lynne
Phil Bennion, Susan Juned, Colin Ross, Stephen Barber, William Powell		 170,246 12.0 −1.7
BNP Simon Darby, Alby Walker, Chris Turner, Ken Griffiths, Ellie Walker 121,967 8.6 +1.1
Green Felicity Norman, Peter Tinsley, Chris Williams, Ian Davison, Vicky Dunn, Dave Wall 88,244 6.2 +1.1
English Democrat David Lane, Frederick Bishop, John Lane, Graham Walker, Michael Ellis, Kim Gandy 32,455 2.3 N/A
Christian David Booth, Samuel Nelson, Abiodun Akiwumi, Yeside Oguntoye, Ade Raji, Maxine Hargreaves 18,784 1.3 N/A
Socialist Labour John Tyrrell, Satbir Singh Johal, Rajinder Claire, Bhagwant Singh, Surinder Pal Virdee, Shangra Singh Bhatoe 14,724 1.0 +0.4
NO2EU David Nellist, Dyal Singh Bagri, Malcolm Gribbin, Jo Stevenson, Peter MacLaren, Andy Chaffer 13,415 1.0 N/A
Jury Team Geoffery Coady, Graham Burton, Jeremy Spencer, David Bennett, Colin Thompson 8,721 0.6 N/A
Libertas Jimmy Millard, Bridget Rose, Zigi Davenport, Andrew Bebbington, David Black, Matthew Lingard 6,961 0.5 N/A
Turnout 1,413,036 34.8 −1.2
European Election 2004: West Midlands[27]
List Candidates Votes % ±
Conservative Philip Bushill-Matthews, Philip Bradbourn, Malcolm Harbour
Andrew Griffiths, Peter Butler, Michael John Burnett, Jeremy Lefroy		 392,937
(130,979)		 27.3 −10.6
Labour Michael Cashman, Neena Gill
Sue Hayman, Anthony Paul Carroll, Claire Edwards, Mohammad Nazir, Jane Louise Heggie		 336,613
(168,306.5)		 23.4 −4.6
UKIP Michael Nattrass
Earl of Bradford, Denis Vernon Brookes, Richard John Chamings, Christopher Rupert Kingsley, Greville James Guy Warwick, Andrew Moore		 251,366 17.5 +11.8
Liberal Democrats Liz Lynne
Paul Calvin Tilsley, Phillip Bennion, Martin Marshall Turner, Nicola Sian Davies, Lorely Burt, Michael David Dixon		 197,479 13.7 +2.4
BNP Simon Darby, Simon Charles Smith, Martin David Roberts, Robert Purcell, Mark Andrew Payne, Michael Coleman, William Thomas Locke[28] 107,794 7.5 +5.8
Green Chris Lennard, Felicity Mary Norman, David Wall, Barney Smith, Thomas Christopher Hellberg, Damon Leroy Hoppe, Rebecca Roseff 73,991 5.1 −0.6
Respect John Rees, Salma Yaqoob, Cheryl Jacqueline Naomi Garvey, Mohammad Naseem, Winifred Olive Mary Whitehouse, Anil Seera, Penelope Hicks 34,704 2.4 N/A
Pensioners Barry Hodgson 33,501 2.3 N/A
Common Good Dick Rodgers 8,650 0.6 N/A
Turnout 1,437,035 36.0 +15.0
European Election 1999: West Midlands[29]
List Candidates Votes % ±
Conservative John Corrie, Philip Bushill-Matthews, Malcolm Harbour, Philip Bradbourn
Richard Normington, Virginia Taylor, Mark Greenburgh, Michael Burnett		 321,719
(80,429.75)		 37.9 N/A
Labour Simon Murphy, Michael Cashman, Neena Gill
Mike Tappin, David Hallam, Phil Davis, Nuala O'Kane, Brenda Etchells		 237,671
(79,223.67)		 28.0 N/A
Liberal Democrats Liz Lynne
Paul Tilsley, Susan Juned, Phillip Bennion, Joan Walmsley, Sardul Marwa, Jamie Calder, John Cordwell		 95,769 11.3 N/A
UKIP Mike Nattrass, Paul Garratt, Jonathan Oakton, Richard Charnings, Douglas Hope, Ian Crompton, Richard Adams, Clive Easton 49,621 5.8 N/A
Green Felicity Norman, Guy Woodford, Paul Baptie, Hazel Clawley, Richard Mountford, Alan Clawley, Andrew Holtham, Elly Stanton 49,440 5.8 N/A
Independent Labour Christine Oddy 36,849 4.3 N/A
Liberal Michael Hyde, Robert Wheway, Colin Hallmark, Ann Winfield, Nicholas Brown, Anthony Bourko, David Hallmark, Joyce Millington 14,954 1.8 N/A
BNP Sharron Edwards, Simon Darby,[30] Stephen Edwards, Jeffrey Astbury, Keith Axon, Steven Batkin, Tommy Rogers, John Haycock 14,344 1.7 N/A
Pro-Euro Conservative Brendan Donnelly, Rob Coppinger, Tim Perkins, Diane Hazeldine, Andrew Notman, John Gretton, Steve Law, John Marshall 11,144 1.3 N/A
Socialist Alliance Dave Nellist, John Rothery, Lanne Hubbard, Salman Mirzo, Natasha Millward, Robert Hope, James Cessford, Peter McNally 7,203 0.8 N/A
Socialist Labour Sonan Singh, Satbir Singh Johal, Judith Sambrook-Marshall, Surinder Pal Virdee, David Ayrton, Brenda Procter, Carlos Rule, Michael Atherton 5,257 0.6 N/A
EDP English Freedom Party Michael Gibbs 3,066 0.4 N/A
Natural Law Paul Davis, James Drewster, Huw Meads, Roger Gerrett, Mary Griffin, Roderic McCarthy, Brian Winstanley, Michael Twite 1,647 0.2 N/A
Turnout 848,684 21.0 N/A

Footnotes
  1. "Phillip Bennion MEP". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  2. "Lib Dem MEP Liz Lynne to stand down". BBC News. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  3. EU Elections 2019, BBC1, 26 May 2019
  4. "9th parliamentary term | Phil BENNION | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu.
  5. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  6. "UK General Election results May 1997 and June 2001". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  7. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  8. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Telford". BBC News.
  11. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. "Birmingham Hodge Hill parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  13. "Statement of Persons Nominated and notice of poll". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  14. "Birmingham Hodge Hill results". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  15. "2019 European elections: List of candidates for the West Midlands| BBC News". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. Rogers, Mark (24 April 2014). "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  18. "Ukip’s local success makes them a fourth force in British politics – Europe Decides". europedecides.eu. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  19. "MEP candidates that ran in the West Midlands in 2014". yournextmep.com. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  20. "European selection results – complete". libdemvoice.org. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  21. "Welcome to The Green Party". greenparty.org.uk. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  22. West Midlands candidates announced Archived 8 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine We Demand a Referendum Now
  23. "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  24. "English Democrats 2014 EU Elections – 60 Candidates List (100% Coverage of England) | Kent English Democrats". steveunclesenglishdemocrats.org. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  25. "West Midlands Region: Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF).
  26. "BBC NEWS | European Election 2009 | UK Results | West Midlands". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  27. "2004 Election candidates". UK Office of the European Parliament. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  28. "wmcand". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 3 June 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  29. "1999 Election candidates". UK Office of the European Parliament. Archived from the original on 28 August 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  30. "BNP: Under the Skin". BBC News.
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