Stephen Ladyman

Stephen Ladyman studied Applied Biology at Liverpool Polytechnic and holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde. He worked as a research scientist for the Medical Research Council from 1979 to 1985 and as Head of Computing at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology from 1985 to 1990.

He was Labour MP for South Thanet from 1997 to 2010, serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (2003-2005) and Minister of State for Transport (2005-2007). After leaving Parliament he chaired Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (2013-2020) and was appointed Chair of the National Autistic Society in November 2021.

While Minister for Transport he chaired Mare Forum 2005 and spoke as a panellist at Mare Forum's New European Maritime Policy events in 2005 and 2006.