Editing Struan Stevenson (section)

== Political career ==
Stevenson attended the West of Scotland Agricultural College and initially managed his family farm before entering politics. His political career began in local [[Local government in Scotland|councillor]] for 22 years,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Struan Stevenson |url=https://scottish-business.uk/about-us/struan-stevenson/ |access-date=8 June 2024 |website=Scottish Business UK |language=en-US}}</ref> sitting on [[South Ayrshire]] Council and its predecessor body the [[Kyle and Carrick]] District Council. He stood for election to [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] at the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 election]], the [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992 election]] and [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 election]]. He was then elected to the [[European Parliament]] in 1999, and retained his seat in 2004 and 2009. He retired from the European Parliament at the elections in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search {{!}} MEPs {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/indexsearch?scope=ALL&term=7&query=struan+stevenson&scope=ALL&ordering=RELEVANCE |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto">European Parliament MEP's, Struan Stevenson</ref>

=== Semipalatinsk radiation victims ===

As an MEP, Stevenson led an international campaign to raise awareness and secure aid for the victims of radiation in the [[Semipalatinsk]] region of [[Kazakhstan]], where the [[USSR|Soviet Union government]] tested 607 [[nuclear weapons|nuclear devices]] from 1949 to 1990, leaving an appalling legacy of pollution, deprivation, illness and death. He was awarded with an [[honorary doctorate]] in Science from the Semey State Medical Academy, [[Semipalatinsk|State Medical Academy]] in Semipalatinsk in recognition of his efforts and on his third visit to Kazakhstan in 2003, he was made an honorary citizen of Semipalatinsk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevenson |first=Struan |title=International Affairs ⋆ Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |url=https://struanstevenson.com/interests/international-affairs/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevenson |first=Struan |date=2020-08-29 |title=HERALD ARTICLE of 29th AUGUST 2020 ⋆ Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |url=https://struanstevenson.com/news-and-views/articles/herald-article-29th-august-2020/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |language=en-US}}</ref>

In September 2004 Stevenson won a $50,000 prize in an international essay competition sponsored by the US-based [[John Templeton Foundation]] for an essay entitled "Crying Forever" describing the suffering of the people of Semipalatinsk. Stevenson donated the entire $50,000 to [[Mercy Corps]] Scotland to assist with their work in Semipalatinsk.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Stevenson |first=Struan |title=Human Rights ⋆ Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |url=https://struanstevenson.com/interests/human-rights/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2006 he published a book, also entitled ''Crying Forever'', detailing his experiences in Kazakhstan. The book was launched at the UN Headquarters in New York and all proceeds from its sale were presented by Stevenson to the Children's Hospital in Semipalatinsk, totalling over $20,000. In January 2007 Stevenson was decorated by the [[President of Kazakhstan]] with the "Shapagat" ("Mercy") award for his humanitarian work in Semipalatinsk.<ref name=":1" />

=== Ban of cat and dog fur ===

Stevenson also led a successful campaign for eight years in the European Parliament to impose an EU-wide ban on the import, export and trade in cat and dog fur. It was estimated that up to two million cats and dogs were being slaughtered each year in China alone, simply to meet demand for fur products in Europe. Working with [[Humane Society International]], Stevenson's campaign generated more than a million emails and signatures on petitions, finally culminating in a draft regulation being prepared by the [[European Commission]] and voted through the European Parliament. The regulation was enacted into [[European Union]] law across all 27 Member States in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevenson |first=Struan |date=2023-08-24 |title=UK & SOTLAND LEAD THE WAY IN SHARK FIN BANS ⋆ Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |url=https://struanstevenson.com/news-and-views/articles/uk-sotland-lead-way-shark-fin-bans/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Climate change ===

Stevenson was president of the European Parliament's Climate Change, Biodiversity & Sustainable Development Intergroup. He has been an outspoken critic of off-shore wind farms.<ref>{{cite web|first=Judith |last=Duffy |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/outrage-as-tory-says-wind-farms-are-raping-scotland.14793795 |title=Outrage as Tory says wind farms are 'raping' Scotland |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|location=Glasgow |date=20 August 2011 |accessdate=14 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/struan-stevenson-the-moray-firth-offshore-turbine-plan-is-a-step-too-far-1-2503854 |title=Struan Stevenson: The Moray Firth offshore turbine plan is a step too far |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=4 September 2012 |accessdate=14 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/speech/scotlands_unsustainable_energy_policy |title=Scotland's unsustainable energy policy – Speeches: Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |publisher=Struanstevenson.com |date=24 August 2012 |access-date=14 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214124104/http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/speech/scotlands_unsustainable_energy_policy |archive-date=14 December 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/speech/offshore_windfarms_in_scotland |title=Offshore windfarms in Scotland – Speeches: Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |publisher=Struanstevenson.com |date=10 August 2012 |access-date=14 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214122551/http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/speech/offshore_windfarms_in_scotland |archive-date=14 December 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/news-release/offshore_windfarms_walking_the_plank_to_disaster |title=Offshore windfarms walking the plank to disaster – News Releases: Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |publisher=Struanstevenson.com |date=9 August 2012 |access-date=14 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214124107/http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/news-release/offshore_windfarms_walking_the_plank_to_disaster |archive-date=14 December 2013 }}</ref> Stevenson has recently cited the loss of ocean carbon sinks due to offshore wind turbines as a possible reason not to build them, and outlined the pros and cons of wind turbines in his book, ''So Much Wind: The Myth of Green Energy''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/article/wind_farms_are_damaging_ocean_carbon_sinks_by_struan_stevenson |title=Wind farms are damaging ocean carbon sinks, by Struan Stevenson – Articles: Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |publisher=Struanstevenson.com |date=12 April 2012 |access-date=14 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214124101/http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/article/wind_farms_are_damaging_ocean_carbon_sinks_by_struan_stevenson |archive-date=14 December 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/news-release/scotlands_off-shore_energy_gold_rush_will_destroy_vital_coastal_ecosystems_ |title=Scotland's off-shore energy 'gold rush' will destroy vital coastal ecosystems, says Euro MP – News Releases: Scottish Conservatives European Parliament |publisher=Struanstevenson.com |date=11 April 2012 |access-date=14 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214124058/http://www.struanstevenson.com/media/news-release/scotlands_off-shore_energy_gold_rush_will_destroy_vital_coastal_ecosystems_ |archive-date=14 December 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=So Much Wind: The Myth of Green Energy |last=Stevenson |first=Struan |year=2013 |publisher=Birlinn ltd |isbn=978-1-78027-113-2}}</ref>

=== Iraq ===

Stevenson was chairman of European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009–2014).<ref name="auto" /> Since the foundation of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA), a non-governmental and non-profit organisation based in Brussels 4 April 2014, he has acted as its president.<ref>Conference announces the formation of EIFA in Brussels, 11 June 2014 http://eu-iraq.org/index.php/press-releases/item/208-conference-announces-the-formation-of-eifa-in-brussels</ref>