Eryl McNally
Encyclopedia
Eryl Margaret McNally, (born 11 April 1942), is a former Labour Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) from the East of England
United Kingdom.
, Wales but has lived in Abbots Langley
, near Watford
in Hertfordshire, since the 1960s.
Before being elected as an MEP in 1994, she was a teacher of modern languages and European studies, having spent several years as Head of Modern Foreign Languages at St. Michael's Catholic High School
, County National Curriculum Co-ordinator for Modern Languages for Buckinghamshire Education Advisory Service
and then an OFSTED
inspector.
McNally is fluent in French, German, Spanish and has a good understanding of Italian. She is married with two grown up children and one grandson.
at the age of 16 and served as a Parish Councillor, a District Councillor on Three Rivers District Council
(from 1970–1976) and County Councillor on Hertfordshire County Council
(from 1986 to 1995) before being elected to the European Parliament
. She represented the Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
constituency from 1994 to 1999 and the East of England
constituency from 1999 until she stood down from the Parliament in 2004, saying that the regional constituencies were too large an area to represent and that no-one had "the foggiest idea" who she was.
Her political interests in the European Parliament were in energy, renewable energy
and environmental issues. She is a former trustee of the National Energy Foundation
, a vice-president of the European Forum on Renewable Energy Sources (EUFORES) and was formerly vice-chair of the European Parliament's Energy and Research Committee. She also served as a substitute member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities and as a member of the delegation for relations with the countries of South America and MERCOSUR.
She was an opponent of the Iraq war.
In 2003, McNally was awarded Chevalier in the Légion d'Honneur
in recognition of her efforts to improve understanding between Britain and France and was appointed an honorary
Doctor of Science
by Cranfield University
.
She was a member of the Transport and General Workers Union, the World Development Movement
, Action for Southern Africa
, the Socialist Education Association
, the Labour Animal Welfare Society, Amnesty International
, the Co-operative Party
and the Fabian Society
.
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) from the East of England
East of England (European Parliament constituency)
East of England is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 7 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
United Kingdom.
Personal life
She was born and brought up in BangorBangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, Wales but has lived in Abbots Langley
Abbots Langley
Abbots Langley is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire. It is an old settlement and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Economically the village is closely linked to Watford and was formerly part of the Watford Rural District...
, near Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
in Hertfordshire, since the 1960s.
Before being elected as an MEP in 1994, she was a teacher of modern languages and European studies, having spent several years as Head of Modern Foreign Languages at St. Michael's Catholic High School
St. Michael's Catholic High School
St. Michael's Catholic High School is located in the town of Watford, Hertfordshire. A Section 5 Ofsted inspection in October 2007 and a Section 48 Inspection by the Archdiocese of Westminster in November 2007 both judged the school as outstanding. In September 2010, headteacher John Murphy was...
, County National Curriculum Co-ordinator for Modern Languages for Buckinghamshire Education Advisory Service
Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in England, the United Kingdom. Its area of control does not include Milton Keynes, which is a unitary authority...
and then an OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
inspector.
McNally is fluent in French, German, Spanish and has a good understanding of Italian. She is married with two grown up children and one grandson.
Political life
McNally joined the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
at the age of 16 and served as a Parish Councillor, a District Councillor on Three Rivers District Council
Three Rivers (district)
Three Rivers is a local government district in Hertfordshire in the East of England. Its council is based in Rickmansworth.It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Rickmansworth Urban District and Chorleywood Urban District with part of Watford Rural District...
(from 1970–1976) and County Councillor on Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. It currently consists of 77 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, which has 55 councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, versus 3 Labour...
(from 1986 to 1995) before being elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. She represented the Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes (European Parliament constituency)
Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes was a constituency of the European Parliament located in the United Kingdom, electing one Member of the European Parliament by the first-past-the-post electoral system...
constituency from 1994 to 1999 and the East of England
East of England (European Parliament constituency)
East of England is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 7 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
constituency from 1999 until she stood down from the Parliament in 2004, saying that the regional constituencies were too large an area to represent and that no-one had "the foggiest idea" who she was.
Her political interests in the European Parliament were in energy, renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and environmental issues. She is a former trustee of the National Energy Foundation
National Energy Foundation
The National Energy Foundation is an independent British charity, established to encourage the more sustainable use and generation of energy.- Aims :...
, a vice-president of the European Forum on Renewable Energy Sources (EUFORES) and was formerly vice-chair of the European Parliament's Energy and Research Committee. She also served as a substitute member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities and as a member of the delegation for relations with the countries of South America and MERCOSUR.
She was an opponent of the Iraq war.
In 2003, McNally was awarded Chevalier in the Légion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in recognition of her efforts to improve understanding between Britain and France and was appointed an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
by Cranfield University
Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
.
She was a member of the Transport and General Workers Union, the World Development Movement
World Development Movement
The World Development Movement is a membership organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns on issues of global justice and development in the Global South....
, Action for Southern Africa
Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
, the Socialist Education Association
Socialist Education Association
The Socialist Educational Association is an independent socialist educational organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is affiliated to the Labour Party as a socialist society, acting as the party's think tank on educational matters for 75 years...
, the Labour Animal Welfare Society, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
and the Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
.