Struan Stevenson is the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change (CiC) and Chair ISJ Committee on the Protection of Political Freedoms in Iran. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA).
Born in 1948, the son of an Ayrshire farmer in South West Scotland, Struan attended the West of Scotland Agricultural College. He entered local politics at the age of 22, winning election to his local council. He served as a councillor for 22 years, rising to the position of Council Leader. He fought three separate Westminster elections as a candidate for the Conservative Party before being elected as a Euro MP in 1999. He served 3 terms in the European Parliament, during which time he was President of the Fisheries Committee, Senior Vice President of the Majority EPP Group and President of the Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Intergroup.
Struan is a well-known public speaker, debater, broadcaster and regular contributor to the press. He is a weekly columnist for The Herald (Scotland) and United Press International (UPI). He is the author of 5 books. Struan is an international lecturer on the Middle East and human rights. He has lectured in some of the world’s leading universities and colleges including Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews, George Washington University, Université Jean Moulin – Lyon, University of California – Berkeley, University of Ljubljana, as well as in many parliaments and conferences around the world. Struan is CEO of the pro-unionist organisation – Scottish Business UK (SBUK).
Struan is married to Pat, a freelance journalist and former News Editor with BBC Radio Scotland and has two adult sons and 3 grandsons.