Julia joins our North West Parliamentary Team

Five new Liberal Democrat members of the House of Lords have been announced today, including one from the North West. 

Julia Aglionby is a champion of upland farming and the environment as the Executive Director of the Foundation for Common Land and a practising agricultural valuer. She is a Professor in Practice at the University of Cumbria’s Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas, and a Commissioner of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.

Julia previously served as a member of the Board of Natural England, and before that was an environmental economist in Southeast Asia. She now lives in Cumbria on a charitable care farm called Susan’s Farm, of which she is a Trustee. She is a keen river swimmer and campaigns to tackle water pollution in the River Eden.

Julia has stood for the Liberal Democrats in two general elections: first in Carlisle in 2019, and then in Penrith and Solway in 2024.

The other new Lib Dem peers announced today are:

• Hannah Kitching, former NHS physiotherapist, Mayor of Penistone, and former Leader of the Opposition on Barnsley Council
• Tim Leunig, Chief Economist at Nesta, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Government, Director of Economics at Public First, and former senior civil servant
• Dave McCobb, Liberal Democrat Director of Campaigns who masterminded the party’s best ever election results, and former Hull City Councillor
• Mark Petterson, entrepreneur and pioneer in offshore wind

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey MP commented, “I am absolutely delighted that Julia, Hannah, Tim, Dave and Mark will be joining our brilliant Liberal Democrat team in the House of Lords.

"Each of them has the right skills, experience and values to help us hold the government to account, deliver the change people need, and fix our broken politics, including reforming the House of Lords.”