Neil Carmichael

Neil Carmichael served as the Member of Parliament for Stroud Valleys and Vale from 2010 to 2017, and as Chair of the Education Select Committee from 2015 to 2017. He had previously been a member of the Environment Audit Committee and also established two All Parliamentary Party Groups: Governance and Leadership in Education, and Vascular Diseases. Neil took the Antarctic Act through Parliament, safeguarding both the Antarctic environment and British interests in the area for future generations.

Neil was born in 1961 in Northumberland. His family background was associated with hill farming. After university, where he studied politics, and until 2001, he was actively involved in agriculture, focusing on breeding cattle and sheep farming. Neil was also Chief Executive and then Chairman of Northumbria Daybreak, a charity providing day care for adults with learning disabilities.

Prior to his incumbency as MP, Neil spent several years as a visiting lecturer in British political history, European Union policies and institutions, and rural economic development. He also worked in business from 2001 until 2010, working in business development projects, developing project finance capabilities and liaising with firms and corporations, including Bevan Brittan, Hutchinson and Sainsbury’s.

Neil established Stroud’s Festival of Manufacturing and Engineering (FESTOMANE) in 2011. His vision was to create a long-standing event which would contribute to the manufacturing and engineering industry, through encouraging young people to consider entering careers in this sector. FESTOMANE works to encourage and promote the importance of STEM subjects to children and young people, celebrate Stroud Valleys and Vale’s strong manufacturing and engineering heritage, and support local businesses.

Neil’s interests include Europe, education, history, economics, energy and foreign affairs. As well as refurbishing his Massey-Ferguson 135 tractor, Neil continues to garden and enjoy woodland, follows Formula 1 racing, and enjoys visiting a good pub and watching films.

Neil is the founder of Modern Europe, a UK-based think tank and policy network which in the wake of the EU referendum decision recognises that “we cannot turn our backs on Europe – we are part of Europe.” It seeks to identify the issues facing Britain as it ends its membership of the EU and debates its future relationship with the wider world. Modern Europe believes that the country’s immediate and long-term national interest requires Britain to forge a positive relationship with our European partners and to play an active leadership role in shaping the development of Europe. In years to come another generation may well want to forge a new relationship from the pieces left behind from the 45 years of British membership (1973- 2018) with the EU and so no bridges should be burnt.

There will be six initial strands to Modern Europe’s research and events:

1. Analysing the benefits to Britain and Europe of the UK’s relationship with our European partners.
2. Identifying the best strategy to maximise British influence within the wider world.
3. Developing detailed proposals for the continued reform of the European Union as an outward-looking, modernising force in global politics and economics.
4. Charting power shifts in the international economic and political systems, and exploring the challenges and choices they pose for the UK and our partners in the European Union.
5. Researching the potential economic and political costs to the UK of our future departure from the European Union and scrutinising in detail the possible alternatives for the UK to membership of the EU.
6. Providing a programme of seminars for university students with an interest in participating in building our future relationships with our European partners.

Modern Europe operates through a combination of research, published initially in electronic form, and seminars and speaker meetings, devoted to the above six themes.