Arlene was first elected to the European Parliament in 1994 and has been a Labour MEP for the North West region since 1999.

Following elections to the new 2009 European Parliament, Arlene is the Vice Chair of the important Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, which is responsible for the economic policies of the Union and the regulation of financial services.

Prior to the 2009 elections Arlene was the first Labour woman MEP to Chair the European Parliament’s powerful Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. As Chair she delivered several important new EU laws to end rip-off mobile phone charges, protect vulnerable consumers and the elderly from rogue traders and scams, secured a new EU law to ban toxic toy imports, and secured an EU wide ban on the cruel trade in cat and dog fur.

Arlene is a children’s rights campaigner leading on campaigns to combat internet child abuse and to introduce an EU-wide missing children hotline.

Arlene is a graduate of the Police Parliamentary Scheme. Working with Greater Manchester Police’s Armed Crime Unit she introduced a major reform to EU law on gun control to tackle the illegal supply of convertible weapons to the UK.

Arlene is an active supporter of football in the community, and recently secured additional funding for the Premier League and Football Foundation’s Kickz project.