Graham Watson
| Sir Graham Watson | |
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| President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party | |
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In office 25 November 2011 – 21 November 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck |
| Succeeded by | Hans van Baalen |
| Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament | |
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In office 13 July 2004 – 1 July 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Guy Verhofstadt |
| Leader of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party in the European Parliament | |
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In office 6 January 2002 – 13 July 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Pat Cox |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the European Parliament for South West England |
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In office 20 July 1999 – 2 July 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Clare Moody |
| Member of the European Parliament for Somerset and North Devon |
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In office 18 July 1994 – 20 July 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
23 March 1956 Rothesay, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse(s) | Rita Watson |
| Children | 1 daughter 1 son |
| Alma mater | Heriot-Watt University |
| Website | Official website |
Sir Graham Robert Watson (born 23 March 1956) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England from 1994 until 2014 and was the leader of the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party 2002–2004 and the first leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe 2004–2009. From 2011 until 2015 he was the President of the ALDE Party.
Graham Watson was born in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute (Scotland, United Kingdom). His father was an officer in the Royal Navy and his mother a teacher. Watson was educated at the City of Bath Boys' School, where he played violin in the school orchestra. He later returned to Scotland to attend Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh where he graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in modern languages. He worked first as a freelance interpreter and translator and then (1980–83) as an administrator at Paisley College of Technology. He now speaks four European languages.
Watson had begun his political activity in the National League of Young Liberals in 1972. As international officer of the Scottish Young Liberals he became involved in the International Federation of Liberal Youth, becoming a vice-president (1977) then General Secretary (1979) of the organisation. He was a founder of the European Communities' Youth Forum. He served as a council member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party between 1983 and 1993. Between 1983 and 1987 he also served as head of the private office of then leader of the British Liberal Party, Sir David Steel.
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