Brendan Donnelly

Brendan Patrick Donnelly (born 25 August 1950) is a British pro-European Union politician who has been the chairman of Rejoin EU since 2024. Donnelly previously served as the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Sussex South and Crawley constituency from 1994 to 1999.

Background Born in London, Donnelly was educated at St Ignatius' College in Tottenham, and then at Christ Church, Oxford. He worked at the Foreign Office from 1976 until 1982, when he joined the secretariat of the Conservative Group in the European Parliament. From 1986 to 1987, he was a political adviser to Lord Cockfield, and then from 1987 to 1990 worked as an independent consultant on the European Community. At the 1989 European Parliament election, he stood unsuccessfully for the Conservatives in London West.

Donnelly was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in Sussex South and Crawley at the 1994 European Parliament election for the Conservative Party. He then left the party, continued as an independent for a period, and then co-founded and became deputy leader of the Pro-Euro Conservative Party at the 1999 European elections.

He failed to get elected and subsequently joined the Liberal Democrats. He stood in the 2009 European elections under the Yes2Europe political label. He stood in the 2014 European elections for the 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP). He stood in the 2021 London Assembly election for Rejoin EU. He was unsuccessful in each case. He stood for Rejoin EU in the June 2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election, and also ran in Finchley and Golders Green (UK Parliament constituency) for the 2024 United Kingdom general election. In March 2025, he was a candidate in a local by-election for Finchley Church End ward in Barnet finishing in 6th place.

Donnelly is director of the Federal Trust, and was chair of the Federal Union until 6 March 2010, when he was succeeded by Richard Laming.