Duncan Hames
Encyclopedia
Duncan John Hames is a British Liberal Democrat
politician. He has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Chippenham constituency
in Wiltshire
since the 2010 general election.
and attended Watford Grammar School for Boys. He studied PPE at the University of Oxford
, where he was an executive officer of the Oxford University Student Union
and represented the Oxford Union
in debating competitions.
with Deloitte. He was the Liberal Democrat candidate in his home constituency of Watford
at the 2001 general election
, then moved to Holt
in Wiltshire
and from 2003 to 2007 served as a member of West Wiltshire
District Council
. He joined the board of the South West of England Regional Development Agency in 2003, and was the Lib Dem candidate for the Westbury, Wiltshire
, constituency at the 2005 general election
.
In July 2006, shortly after the creation of a new Chippenham
county constituency, Hames was selected as his party's first candidate for it, and his success at the 2010 general election gave Wiltshire its first Liberal member of parliament in 86 years.
Hames recently ran the Chippenham Half Marathon to help raise funds for Parkinson’s Disease Society.
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
politician. He has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Chippenham constituency
Chippenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
since the 2010 general election.
Early life
Hames was born in HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and attended Watford Grammar School for Boys. He studied PPE at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he was an executive officer of the Oxford University Student Union
Oxford University Student Union
The Oxford University Student Union is the official students' union of the University of Oxford. It is better known in Oxford by its acronym, OUSU . It exists to represent Oxford University students in the University's decision-making, to act as the voice for students in the national higher...
and represented the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
in debating competitions.
Career
After graduating from Oxford, Hames trained as an accountantAccountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
with Deloitte. He was the Liberal Democrat candidate in his home constituency of Watford
Watford (UK Parliament constituency)
Watford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, then moved to Holt
Holt, Wiltshire
Holt is a village and civil parish northeast of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, England.The village was served by Holt Junction railway station of GWR Devizes Branch Line, until its closure in 1966.-Parish church:...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and from 2003 to 2007 served as a member of West Wiltshire
West Wiltshire
West Wiltshire was a local government district in Wiltshire, England, formed on 1 April 1974, further to the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the former urban districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury, along with Bradford and Melksham Rural District and...
District Council
Local government in the United Kingdom
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...
. He joined the board of the South West of England Regional Development Agency in 2003, and was the Lib Dem candidate for the Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
, constituency at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
In July 2006, shortly after the creation of a new Chippenham
Chippenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
county constituency, Hames was selected as his party's first candidate for it, and his success at the 2010 general election gave Wiltshire its first Liberal member of parliament in 86 years.
Hames recently ran the Chippenham Half Marathon to help raise funds for Parkinson’s Disease Society.
External links
- Duncan Hames MP official constituency website
- Duncan Hames MP Liberal Democrats profile