News story

3rd July 2001

Baroness Emma Nicholson Delivers Second Heather Larkins Memorial Lecture at Chipping Sodbury

Former Conservative MP, Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne, last Friday delivered the second annual lecture in memory of Mrs. Heather Larkins, former Chairman of Northavon Liberal Democrats. The lecture was in aid of the Heather Larkins memorial fund which enables young people to learn more about the political process by providing a bursary to allow one or two local young people each year to attend the Liberal Democrat party conference. Following on from a lecture by Don Foster MP last year on the subject of public transport, this year’s lecture was on the subject of Europe. Baroness Nicholson is now a Liberal Democrat MEP and she talked with great knowledge about the role of the European Parliament. In particular, she talked about the challenges and opportunities presented by the enlargement of the European Union and about the difficulties faced by the EU in adopting a common stance on foreign policy issues. The venue for the talk was Chipping Sodbury Town Hall and the event was again well supported by local Lib Dem members. The evening was chaired by Northavon constituency chairman, councillor Sue Hope, and a vote of thanks was given by newly re-elected Northavon MP, Steve Webb.

Speaking after the event, Steve Webb said:

“We were delighted that Emma Nicholson was able to give us such a wide-ranging and thought-provoking speech. It sparked some lively debate about the future role and structure of the EU and made for an evening of meaty political discussion and debate. We hope that this lecture series will go from strength to strength and will be a fitting memorial to the memory of Heather Larkins”.

*** ENDS ***

Note to editors: Heather Larkins was an Avon County Councillor and stood for Parliament in Northavon in 1992. She was a former schoolteacher and lived with her husband John at Tormarton.