With campaigning for the General Election under way in the Chippenham constituency we meet the Lib Dem candidate

IN FOUR generations, Duncan Hames’ family has moved from a baby girl born in a London workhouse, to a little boy going to the House of Commons nursery. 

He doesn’t believe it should take as long as 120 years for someone born into poverty to fulfil their potential.

It is this belief, in giving everyone of whatever background a fair chance, that he says drives him as a politician.

The Chippenham MP was the first in his family to complete A-levels, and when he won a place at Oxford University, he “suddenly realised the differences in the way that my fellow students had grown up – their social networks, even their awareness of the sorts of jobs you can go on to do”.

He asks: “What is it about our society that means a child in care doesn’t end up in Parliament?

“It’s no good trying to fix our social problems 10 or 20 years down the line once they’ve already set in. We need to make sure they’re getting the best possible start in life.” 

He is proud of the pupil premium and said he has helped Wiltshire’s schools improve their annual funding by £100 per pupil. 

“Wiltshire had a raw deal and I urged David Laws [Minister for State for Schools] to recognise this and we started to change the formula for how school funding was allocated,” he said.

“In Wiltshire we have very good schools. But headteachers are worried about how they’re going to continue what they do when funding is maintained at flat cash levels. Lib Dems will protect education funding in real terms, allowing for inflation.”

Mr Hames says the other key issues are boosting the economy and protecting the environment. 

He said: “As a chartered accountant, I’m not one of those MPs that’s turned off the moment they need to crunch some difficult numbers to understand what’s going on.”

He stood for the Watford constituency in 2001 and the following year moved to Trowbridge, where he stood for Westbury in 2005 and came second to the Conservatives, before winning the Chippenham seat in 2010.

He said he loves living in Holt because of its dark skies. 

“In London the night sky is a mustardy colour, but at home you get to see the stars,” he said. “You don’t have to be superstitious to gaze in wonder and think how vast the universe is.”

His proudest achievements of his term are using a Prime Minister’s question to secure funding for Wiltshire College’s Chippenham campus, helping to increase TransWilts rail services between Westbury and Swindon and being independently minded.

“I’m not paid for by anyone else,” he said. “I know that my constituents are my boss.”

Age: 37
Address: Holt
Occupation: MP for last five years
Marital status: Married to Jo Swinson, Lib Dem candidate for East Dunbartonshire 
Children: 16-month-old son Andrew

Standing in Chippenham are: Michelle Donelan (Conservative); Duncan Hames (Liberal Democrat); Tina Johnson (Green); Andy Newman (Labour); Julia Reid (UKIP).