Laura Willoughby

Laura Willoughby MBE, (born 27 May 1974 in Chard, Somerset) is a Liberal Democrat politician. She is currently a councillor on Islington Council in London and was the parliamentary candidate in the May 2005 general election for the Liberal Democrats in the Islington North constituency where she lives. She previously stood for the seat in the June 2001 general election.

Willoughby was Chief Executive of The Food Chain, a London-based HIV charity, between 2005 and November 2007.

Prior to becoming a councillor, Willoughby has worked among other things as a press officer with Stonewall (1999-2000) and as a press and parliamentary officer with YMCA England (2000-2002). While a student she volunteered to work in former party leader Paddy Ashdown's constituency office. She has a BSc in Communications and Media Studies from Loughborough University and a DipPD in Voluntary Sector Management from Middlesex University.

The Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2005, recognises Laura's service to the community in Islington and across Greater London, and appointed her an MBE [cite news| url = http://www.islington-libdems.org.uk/news/1084.html | title = Cllr Laura Willoughby receives M.B.E. at Buckingham Palace |date = December 13, 2005 | publisher = Liberal Democrats ] .

References

External links

* [http://www.laurawilloughby.org.uk/ Laura Willoughby] official site
* [http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/people/cllr-laura-willoughby.html Laura Willoughby PPC] profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
* [http://www.islington-libdems.org.uk/ Islington Liberal Democrats]
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-11050,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Laura Willoughby]