Baroness Jenny Tonge worked as a doctor for the NHS in the UK for over 30 years before entering the House of Commons as MP for Richmond Park in 1997. Her speciality in the NHS was women’s health.
She was the Liberal Democrat spokesman for international development for 7 years, and has been a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Population, Development and Reproductive Health since 1997. She now chairs the group and is also the treasurer of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development.
In 2008, she took part in the Gaza Flotilla which broke through the blockage to deliver humanitarian aid. Raised to the peerage as Baroness Tonge of Kew in 2005, and awarded the Justice and Freedom Award in 2012 by the Palestinian Return Centre for her ongoing open support of the Palestinian cause, Baroness Tonge has voiced opposition to the influence that the pro-Israel lobby exerts over UK political parties. She was also recently honoured by the Palestinan Community in the UK and the Palestinian General Delegation in the UK for her continuous dedication to the Palestinian cause.