About Duncan Hames

Duncan Hames is the Liberal Democrat candidate for the new Chippenham constituency. He was the Lib Dem candidate for the Westbury constituency at the 2005 General Election.

Local Liberal Democrats were boosted by their best result in this area for many years: the Lib Dem vote increased by nearly 3,500 voters (a 3.3% increase in share of the vote). Labour remained in a poor third place.

In December 2003 Duncan was appointed to the board of the South West of England Regional Development Agency. Established in 1999, the Agency's most important role is to ensure the long-term economic success of the region. He is also a governor at Melksham's George Ward School, and Director of Chippenham Consultants Limited.

Duncan served as a West Wiltshire district councillor respresenting the Holt ward for four years before standing down from the council in May 2007. In that time, he chaired the External Overview, Northern Area, and Audit committees, and the Bradford on Avon Area Seminar, he also respresented the council on the West Wiltshire Local Strategic Partnership, and held the Community and Policy Co-ordination portfolios on the council's executive Cabinet.

Originally from Hertfordshire, Duncan was educated at his local comprehensive school before taking a place at Oxford University where he was an executive officer of the Student Union and a regular debater for the Union in competitions.

Duncan believes we should be investing more in education. He benefited from a free education and a partial maintenance grant at University and wants future students to have the opportunity of a free education too. He feels strongly that students, who now have to pay tuition fees in England, and their families are being penalised unfairly.

He lives in the village of Holt, near Bradford on Avon.

[Duncan's personal web site]

[See the "Contact Us" section for for details of how to contact Duncan]