Robin Teverson, Baron Teverson

Career[edit]

Teverson was educated at the University of Exeter. He joined the Liberal Democrats, for which he stood unsuccessfully in South East Cornwall at the 1992 United Kingdom general election.^[1]


At the 1994 European Parliament election, Teverson was elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Cornwall and West Plymouth, becoming one of the first two Liberal Democrats ever elected to the European Parliament along with Graham Watson in Somerset and North Devon. He was Chief Whip of the European Liberal Democrats from 1997 and 1999. In 1999, he was Chairman of Finance South West Ltd.^[2]


At the 1999 European Parliament election, the UK switched from electing MEPs in first past the post constituencies to a form of region-based proportional representation. Each party put forward a list of candidates, and the higher its vote share, the more seats it would be awarded. Watson and Teverson were both MEPs in the South West region, and the Liberal Democrats placed Watson in first position on its list and Teverson in second position. At the election, the Liberal Democrats polled 16.5% of the vote in the South West, entitling them to just one of the region's seven seats. Thus Watson was elected, but Teverson lost his seat.^[3]


On 1 June 2006, he was created a life peer as Baron Teverson, of Tregony in the County of Cornwall.^[4]


During his time in the Lords he has chaired both the House of Lords EU select sub-committee on External Affairs, and its ad-hoc select committee on the Arctic. He oversaw the publication of the Committee's report 'responding to a changing Arctic' which explored 'recent and expected changes in the Arctic and their implications for the UK and its international relations'.^[5]


Teverson has sat on the Liberal Democrat Federal Executive and has also previously chaired the Party's national finance committee.^[6]


Teverson was elected to Cornwall Council for the new St Mewan ward in the 2009 election.^[7] during which time he sat as the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Cornwall Council.^[8] He did not stand in the subsequent 2013 Cornwall Council election.