Jenny Tonge

Liberal Democrat MP Richmond Park

Date of birth

19 February 1941

Political profile

Jenny Tonge was one of the five Liberal Democrats who, in 1997, won a swathe of seats across formerly Conservative south west London.

She unseated former Tory chairman Jeremy Hanley at her second attempt.

She was one of the more high profile of the 1997 intake and was quickly promoted to the post of international development spokesman, which she retained after the 2001 election.

In October 2003, after she had announced she would retire as an MP at the next election, she moved from the international development brief to be children's spokesman.

But she was sacked from the frontbench completely after saying she would consider becoming a suicide bomber if she was a Palestinian, despite insisting she did not condone such attacks.

Ms Tonge is on the left of the Liberal Democrats. She supports the legalisation of cannabis and was one of the prime movers in the successful campaign to widen access to the "morning-after" contraceptive pill.

She is also an opponent of American proposals for National Missile Defence and a persistent critic of the international arms trade.

Contact

www.jennytonge.org.uk

Constituency office 0208 332 7919