Sir Julian Gordon Priestley KCMG (26 May 1950 – 22 April 2017) was an English civil-servant who served as Secretary-General of the European Parliament 1997–2007.
Born in Croydon, Priestley was educated at St Boniface's Catholic College, Plymouth, and Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1972 with an honours degree in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE).
It is based in the Kirchberg district of Luxembourg and around the Brussels-Luxembourg Station in Brussels and employs 4000 officials.
[6] In his memory, an annual Julian Priestley lecture was established by former colleagues of his and is hosted by the UK European Movement.
The first lecture was given in 2018 by the Labour Leader in the European Parliament, Richard Corbett MEP, the second in 2019 by the TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady and the third in 2021 (postponed from 2020 due to Covid) by former Irish diplomat Bobby McDonagh, and the fourth in 2022 by the former Green MEP Molly Scott Cato (hosted by Jan Royall at Somerville college Oxford).