Laura Jane Sandys[1] CBE (/sændz/; born 5 June 1964) is a former chair of the European Movement UK, and a British Conservative Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Thanet between 2010 and 2015.

[6] She is also a journalist, also writing for newspapers, and a commentator appearing on television and radio on a wide range of issues, including urban development and the Iraq war.

She is a non-executive director on the board of openDemocracy;[8] her biography on that site describes her as: "having experience of political structures across Europe, Turkey, South America and the US".

[12] Before the 2005 general election, Sandys applied to be selected as a Conservative candidate in fourteen parliamentary constituencies[13] and was shortlisted in Surrey Heath and Arundel and South Downs.

[19] She explained, "I have been considering my future in light of a wide range of family demands and have decided that I cannot combine the level of dedication and service needed for the constituency with my growing personal responsibilities to those closest and dearest to me.

[citation needed] On 30 April 2019, Sandys joined former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and Caroline Lucas in calling for a Green New Deal in the UK.