Gina Dowding

Gina Dowding (born 15 July 1962) is a British politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North West England from 2019 to 2020, representing the Green Party of England and Wales. She has been a long-serving local councillor, holding seats on both Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council.

Early life and career Dowding was born in London. She has lived in Lancaster for over 40 years, where she lives in the city centre with her partner and two adult sons.

Before entering full-time politics, she worked in public health in the National Health Service (NHS) and in project management for local charities, including in the field of drug and alcohol treatment.

Political career

Local government Dowding was first elected to Lancaster City Council in 1999 for the Castle Ward (later serving in Dukes ward until 2007). She returned to the council in 2019 as councillor for Marsh ward, where she has been re-elected. She also serves as Deputy Leader of the Green Group on Lancaster City Council.

She has represented Lancaster Central on Lancashire County Council since 2013 and has been re-elected multiple times, most recently in 2025. She is noted for her community campaigning, including involvement in anti-fracking efforts in Lancashire.

In 2003, while a Lancaster Councillor, Dowding was suspended for three months by a standard board tribunal after leaking details of a council deal deferring business rates for British Energy's Heysham nuclear power station. She argued the action was in the public interest as whistleblowing. The Green Party called for changes to the councillor's code of conduct to better protect such disclosures.

European Parliament (2019-2020) Dowding was elected as one of the Green Party's MEPs for North West England in the 2019 European Parliament elections. She served from 2 July 2019 until 31 January 2020, when the United Kingdom left the European Union.

During her term, she sat on multiple committees: Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), and the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET).

She also served on delegations for relations with Israel and Palestine. Her priority areas included climate action, research funding, sustainable travel, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. She produced reports during her tenure, including a Green New Deal for the North West.

Electoral performance