Eleanor Elizabeth Chowns (born 7 March 1975) is a British

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...

politician, serving as the Member of Parliament for

North Herefordshire North Herefordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Ellie Chowns of the Green Party of England and Wales. It is the first Green seat in the West Midlands region. Constituency profile Th ...

since 2024. She previously served as a

Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...

(MEP) for the West Midlands for the party from 2019 to 2020. She was a councillor on

Herefordshire Council Herefordshire Council is the local authority for the county of Herefordshire in England. It is a unitary authority, combining the powers of a district and county council. History Herefordshire was one of the historic counties of England. Elec ...

from 2017, representing the Bishops Frome & Cradley ward, and leader of the council's Green group until stepping down following her election to parliament. In 2025, Ellie Chowns announced she was standing for co-leader of the Green Party along with

Adrian Ramsay Adrian Philip Ramsay is a British politician who has served as co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales since 2021 and as the Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley since 2024. He was previously the deputy leader of the Green Party ...

Early life and education

Chowns was born on 7 March 1975 in

Chertsey Chertsey is a town in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, southwest of central London. It grew up around Chertsey Abbey, founded in AD 666 by Earconwald, St Erkenwald, and gained a municipal charter, market charter from Henry I of Engla ...

. She is the daughter of Gillian and Stephen Chowns, who is a methodist preacher and worked as a lecturer in human resource management. The couple moved to

Ledbury Ledbury is a market town and civil parish in the county of Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and west of the Malvern Hills. It has a significant number of Tudor style timber-framed structures, in particular along Church Lane a ...

, in Ellie Chowns's constituency, in 2013, and in 2024 Stephen Chowns was elected mayor of Ledbury Town Council. Ellie Chowns has a brother, Jonathan. She studied geography,

environmental studies Environmental studies (EVS or EVST) is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human behavior, human interaction with the Natural environment, environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sci ...

, and

development studies Development studies is an interdisciplinary branch of social science. Development studies is offered as a specialized master's degree in a number of reputed universities around the world. It has grown in popularity as a subject of study since the ...

at the

University of Sussex The University of Sussex is a public university, public research university, research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(BA) degree in 1997. She then undertook a one-year

Master of Professional Studies Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...

(MProf) degree in

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

at the

University of Middlesex Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated to MDX) is a public research university based in Hendon, northwest London, England. The university also has campuses in Dubai and Mauritius. The name of the university is ...

, graduating in 1998. She later undertook doctoral research in

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic development, economic or human development (economics), human development on an international sca ...

at the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

. She completed her

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

(PhD) degree in 2014, with a

doctoral thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

titled "The political economy of community management: a study of factors influencing sustainability in Malawi's rural water supply sector".

Career

She is a specialist in

, having worked for charities such as

Voluntary Service Overseas VSO is a not-for-profit international development organization charity with a vision for "a fair world for everyone" and a mission to "create lasting change through volunteering". VSO delivers development impact through a blended volunteer model c ...

and

Christian Aid Christian Aid is a relief and development charity of 41 Christian (Protestant and Orthodox) churches in Great Britain and Ireland, and works to support sustainable development, eradicate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster rel ...

and as a lecturer at the

Political career

Chowns got involved in politics in 2015. In 2017 she was elected as a councillor on

, and became the leader of the Green group. In the May 2019 Herefordshire Council elections, Chowns was re-elected onto Herefordshire Council with 78.6% of the vote.

European parliament

Chowns was elected as an MEP in the 2019 European elections, winning 10.66% of the vote share. In the same election, the Green Party won 7 MEPs, up from 3.

Extinction Rebellion

Chowns was arrested on 14 October 2019 in

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

defending the rights of

Extinction Rebellion Extinction Rebellion (abbreviated as XR) is a UK-founded global environmental movement, with the stated aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience to compel government action to avoid tipping points in the climate system, biodiversity loss, and ...

protesters to continue. She was released pending investigation, and later was one of the claimants to challenge the legality of the Section 14 order under which she was arrested. On 6 November 2019 the High Court ruled this blanket use of Section 14 by the Metropolitan Police was unlawful. Chowns declined to sue the Metropolitan Police for unlawful arrest, but declared the ruling to be a "victory for the right to peaceful assembly and protest, two cornerstones of our democracy".

House of Commons

Chowns stood as the Green candidate for

, a

safe seat A safe seat is an electoral district which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both. With such seats, there is very little chance of a seat changing h ...

for the

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

, in the 2017 General Election, securing 5.5% of the vote. In the 2019 General Election, she won 9.3% of the vote share, the 6th highest Green vote share in the country and the highest of any seat where there was no

Unite to Remain Unite to Remain () was a campaign and electoral pact during the 2019 United Kingdom general election. It involved three parties that Opposition to Brexit in the United Kingdom, supported remaining in the European Union: the Liberal Democrats ( ...

alliance. In the

2024 General Election This is a list of elections that were held in 2024. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2024 United Nations Security Council election * 2024 national electoral calendar * 2024 local electo ...

, Chowns was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for North Herefordshire with 21,736 votes (43.2%) and a majority of 5,894 over the second-placed Conservative candidate, Sir

Bill Wiggin Sir William David Wiggin (born 4 June 1966) is a former British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Herefordshire, previously Leominster, from 2001 to 2024. Early life and career Bill Wiggin was born ...

. She overturned a significant Conservative majority and unseated the incumbent Wiggin with a swing of +34.4% as compared to the 2019 election. Alongside

Siân Berry Siân Rebecca Berry (; born 9 July 1974) is a British politician who has served as the member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion since July 2024, succeeding Caroline Lucas. She was a co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales alongsid ...

and Green co-leaders

Carla Denyer Carla Suzanne Denyer (born 24 September 1985) is a British politician who has been the Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales alongside Adrian Ramsay since 2021 and the Member of Parliam ...

and

, she was one of the first five Green MPs in UK history; the first,

Caroline Lucas Caroline Patricia Lucas (born 9 December 1960) is a British politician who was the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2003 to 2006, 2007 to 2012, and 2016 to 2018. She was Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parli ...

, retired from the Commons in 2024. On 18 July 2024, Chowns made her

maiden speech A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament. Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country. In many Westminster system governments, there is a convention th ...

in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

during a debate on foreign affairs and defence. On 11 May, incumbent co-leader

launched a joint leadership bid alongside fellow MP Ellie Chowns for the 2025 party leadership election.

Personal life

Chowns has two adult sons. She is a member of

Giving What We Can Giving What We Can (GWWC) is an effective altruism nonprofit that promotes effective giving through education, outreach, and advocacy around the 10% Pledge, which encourages members to donate at least 10% of their income to effective charities. ...

, a community of people who have pledged to give at least 10% of their income to effective charities.

Selected works

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chowns, Ellie 1975 births 21st-century British women politicians 21st-century women MEPs for England Alumni of the University of Birmingham Alumni of the University of Sussex Councillors in Herefordshire Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Green Party of England and Wales councillors Green Party of England and Wales MEPs Green Party of England and Wales MPs Living people MEPs for England 2019–2020 People from Chertsey UK MPs 2024–present