Simplify the following text for a Grade 10 native English-speaking person.
Original: Nick Clegg was a Member of the European Parliament ( MEP ) from 1999 to 2004 and was first elected as a Liberal Democrat MP in the 2005 general election .
Simplified: Clegg 's first major elected position was as a Member of the European Parliament ( MEP ) for the East Midlands from 1999 to 2004 .