Syed Kamall is a Conservative Member of the House of Lords. He is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. He is temporarily the Acting Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the UK’s leading classical liberal think tank, until a successor is appointed.

He previously worked as an IT Business Systems Analyst for a bank. After returning to academia to study for a PhD, he taught and researched on international trade and international business. He left academia to work as a strategy, public affairs and diversity consultant.

From May 2005 to June 2019, he was a Conservative MEP for London.  In the European Parliament, he was leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists political group of MEPs from 19 countries, and worked to promote open trade, tech start-ups and less but better financial regulation.  As the most senior elected British MEP, he acted as an interlocutor between UK and EU negotiators.

In London, he regularly met and worked with local community projects tackling poverty and social exclusion.  Until the COVID19 lockdown, he was working with others to set up a microfinance project to offer online loans to entrepreneurs from poorer communities and hopes to resume this project when possible. He is also in discussions to set up a local charities network to help inspire and incubate more neighbourhood non-state projects. Syed has also been a speaker at schools and youth clubs, hoping to inspire ambition and social mobility

In his rare moments of leisure, he spends time with his family and enjoys reading, writing, travelling and walking. He occasionally plays electric bass and sings in a blues band.”

Syed was born, grew up and continues to live in London. His father came to London in the 1950s to work on the railways and as a bus driver.