Dr Julia Reid PhD

In November 1980, at the age of 28, Julia survived a life threatening illness. This caused her to have a whole new outlook on life and in 1981 she decided to complete her education and attended the John Bentley School, in Calne, as a mature student.  On passing her A-levels Julia went on to the University of Bath where she obtained an Honours Degree in Biochemistry, being awarded the Leonard Broadbent Prize for Achievement, and a PhD in Pharmacology.

 

A research biochemist by profession, Julia worked for a time in industry after gaining her PhD but in 1999 returned to research and was, until recently made redundant, the Director of Research / Laboratory Manager of the Diabetes and Lipid Research Laboratory at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

 

Since 1975, Julia’s main hobby has been gliding and it was through this sport that she met Ken whom she married in 1987.

 

In 2005, Julia’s son, Thomas, married and she now has a delightful daughter-in-law called Jude and a gorgeous grandson called Robert.

 

Regarding her political views, Julia has been an ardent opponent of the Common Market, the European Economic Community, the European Community and the European Union since the 1960’s and campaigned for a  “No” vote in the 1975 referendum.

 

In 1981 Julia was one of the first to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) but refused to belong to the Liberal Democrats after the majority of members voted to amalgamate with the Liberal Party, because of their pro Europe stance.  In 1988 Julia rejoined a smaller SDP and stayed a member until its demise in 1990.

 

In 1993 Julia joined the United Kingdom Independence Party and she is currently Secretary of the North Wiltshire and Chippenham Branch.

 

Regarding previous political experience, Julia has stood as a UKIP candidate in local elections (North Wiltshire District Council, Wiltshire County Council, Calne Town Council) and was fourth on the list of UKIP MEP candidates in The South West Region at the European Elections in June 2009. More recently she stood as the Parliamentary candidate for UKIP in the new Chippenham constituency where she came fourth with 1783 votes, in a seat contested by three other anti-EU parties, losing to the Liberal Democrat candidate, Duncan Hames MP.

 

In Julia’s opinion,

 

“The fundamental difference between the EU and the UK are our laws, some of which descend from democratic rights that were first enshrined by the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede. European laws, however, are based on Napoleonic Law which dates from a time when most of Europe was living under a dictatorship.

 

We in the UK now face domination by a similar dictatorship in the guise of the European Commission. Already we have seen much of our unique heritage disappear as more and more of our sovereignty is transferred to Europe resulting in our laws, introduced by a democratically elected parliament, being superseded by ones conjured up by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.

 

As our fathers and grandfathers fought two World Wars to defend the sovereignty of our country it is now our turn to fight for our rights and freedoms and for those of our children and our children’s children.”

North Wiltshire & Chippenham—South West Region

Julia Reid, née Rudman, was born in Brockley, SE London, in 1952, the eldest child of her father, John, who worked for British Railways as an electrical engineer, and mother Joan who both instilled in her a respect for Britain and its traditions. Although born in London her father’s family come from Melksham and Julia has lived in Wiltshire since 1975

 

In April 1957 she started in the Infants of Gordonbrock Primary School and was soon moved up into a class of older peers so that when she took her 11+ exam at the age of 10 she was the youngest in the class.  Julia’s parents were particularly proud of their daughter as in London at that time the pass mark for girls was 60%-65%, compared to 45%-50% for boys, because there were twice as many grammar school places for boys than girls. Julia attended Honor Oak Grammar School till March 1965, then went to Sudbury Girls High School after her parents moved to Hadleigh in Suffolk.

 

In 1970 Julia married an RAF serviceman (she has a son, Thomas Stamp, from that marriage) and her first jobs were working in the NAAFI at RAF Cottesmore and RAF Lyneham.

 

In November 1980, at the age of 28, Julia survived a life threatening illness. This caused her to have a whole new outlook on life and in 1981 she decided to complete her education and attended the John Bentley School, in Calne, as a mature student.  On passing her A-levels Julia went on to the University of Bath where she obtained an Honours Degree in Biochemistry, being awarded the Leonard Broadbent Prize for Achievement, and a PhD in Pharmacology.