Hello, my name is Ian.

Full statement

I was born at the QEII in 1964 and apart from three years in Birmingham obtaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering and five years post graduate research in Physics in the US, I have lived my whole life in Welwyn Hatfield. In 1996, working as a scientist, I was lucky enough to be able to afford to buy my own home, something which has become increasingly difficult these days. I believe that there is an urgent need to provide more affordable housing, ideally with an investment in new council homes.

I have been an environmental and anti-war activist since the late 1980s, particularly concerned about the effects of climate change, and getting involved with the Camps for Climate Action in the late 2000s. However, I had never been a member of political party until I joined the Green Party in 2014.

Locally, I have focused on active travel and sustainable transport, particularly on improving conditions for cycling. I helped set up the Hertfordshire Cycling Campaign and I am deputy chair and cycling representative on the Hertfordshire Local Access Forum, a statutory body concerned with access to the countryside.

I have been a self-employed gardner since 2010 and for leisure I enjoy going to festivals and walking in the mountains.