Admission:

Free, spaces limited, please RSVP to secretariat@britishukrainiansociety.org
Annual speech will be delivered by Sir Gerald Howarth MP, Chairman of the British-Ukraine All Party Parliamentary Group. He will speak about British-Ukrainian relations.

Speaker profile:

Sir Gerald Howarth MP

Member of Parliament for Aldershot

Chairman, British-Ukraine All-Party Parliamentary Group

Sir Gerald became MP for Cannock and Burntwood in 1983, becoming the only Conservative to hold the seat for 2 terms.  After losing his seat in 1992, he returned to Parliament in 1997 to represent Aldershot.  Between 2002 and 2010 he served as a Shadow Defence Minister with responsibility for defence procurement and the Royal Air Force.  He served In the Coalition Government as Minister for International Security Strategy at the Ministry of Defence (2010-2012) with responsibility for the EU, defence diplomacy and exports.  He has been Vice-Chairman of the Defence Select Committee and served on the Home Affairs Select Committee.  Sir Gerald was also PPS to Margaret Thatcher (1991-1992).  In 2015, Sir Gerald became Chairman of the All-Party Group on Egypt and the Chairman of the All-Party Group on Ukraine.

From 2007-2010 Sir Gerald was a Director of Landkom Ukraine, a company which was farming 200,00 acres in Western Ukraine, and in that capacity he visited Ukraine on a number of occasions.

Before he entered Parliament, Sir Gerald had a career in international banking.  He studied English at the University of Southampton where he served with the Air Squadron.  Today, he is President of the British Air Display Association, Patron of Aerobility (the British Disabled Flying Association) and is a Trustee of the Vulcan To The Sky Trust and The British Forces Foundation.

Sir Gerald is married to Elizabeth and they have 3 children. He enjoys flying, photography and is a church warden at the Royal Garrison Church in Aldershot.