Elizabeth Longain

Parliamentary Portrait of Elizabeth Longain MP

London Residence:

* Number 7, Millbank Residences, 9 Millbank, Westminster SW1P

## Signature

Signature of Elizabeth Longain

**Miss Elizabeth Jane Mary Longain** (*Born 2nd February 1967 in Eastbourne, England*) is a British Liberal Democrat Politician and Stateswoman, whom is currently serving as Member of Parliament of Eastbourne since 2010. She is a former Detective Superintendent with HM Police Force Sussex Constabulary, where she headed up the Major Investigation Team for 10 years. She rose to promenance in 2014 when she was awarded The Spectator's Parliamentarian of the Year award, she has featured in a number of different magazine including Vouge.

She is well known to be high strung and dedicated. She takes no nonsense and is known to be a tough nut to crack. She has few friends in parliament prefering to keep herself distant from the 'Westminster Bubble' prefering her own and her staffs company. During her time in parliament she has been on the Home Affairs Select Committee since her swearing in as a Member of Parliament.

## Early Life

Elizabeth was born in Eastbourne, England on the 2nd of February 1967 to Marie and Alan Longain; Marie a Writer of some renown and Alan the Deputy Chief Constable of Sussex Constabulary. She has three younger siblings, Alexander Longain a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, Phillip Longain a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force and Hannah Defoe née Longain a Partner of Noble Hale Defoe, a renowned Law Firm in London.

From a young age she and her family resided in their family home of Croyde House, inherited through their Mother, Marie Longain née Croyde. The women in the Croyde family always seemed to prove successful and top of the mark, this was true for Marie and she passed this on to her Daughters.

## Education

From a young age Elizabeth proved exceptional, in both academic and physical subjects. During her time in Saint Andrew's Preparatory School she proved successful in English and Latin. When she went on to Brighton College she excelled further in Latin and Russian, before going on to study Government and Politics, Latin, Business Studies and Russian at College Level. Following her exceptional grades, she went on to study Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Oxford, she decided that for the last year of her studies to accept a scholarship to the Hendon Collage of Policing. This was the course for direct entry at Inspector Level.

## Police Work

Following her studies she trained for six years within the Metropolitan Police Service, at the age of 28 she was transitioned back to the Sussex Constabulary in the position of Chief Inspector in the Major Investigations Team where she focused on Murder, Manslaughter and attempted murder where the evidence of intended threat, after being in this post for five years, the Superintendent in charge of her branch retired. She applied and was successful and at the age of 33 she became the Superintendent commanding MIT overseeing all operations, including murder, manslaughter, abduction, suspicious missing persons, and series and serious sexual offences.

## Political Work

Following 21 years in the police force, she decided to leave, she came to this decision as she looked at the upcoming General Election and decided she would like to utilise her knowledge to better her community, she was approached by the local Liberal Democratic Party to stand as their candidate, and in a shock turn of events was elected with a comfortable majority. Many people liked her arrow straight style, not talking around questions answering them directly.

When she was returned to Westminster, she was placed by the party on the Home Affairs Select Committee and began to hold the government to account and ensuring that the people were served well and kept safe. She has a keen interest in policing and security and is a member of a number of such connected APPGs.