Brian Mathew (politician)

Brian George Felton Mathew^[1] is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Melksham and Devizes since 2024.^[2] He defeated former Conservative minister Michelle Donelan, who had chosen to contest this seat in view of boundary changes at her Chippenham seat.^[3]

Brian Mathew MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament for Melksham and Devizes
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2024
Preceded by	Constituency established
Majority	2,401 (4.7%)
Personal details
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Alma mater	University of East Anglia University of Reading Cranfield University

Early life and education

Mathew graduated from the University of East Anglia in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in development studies. This was followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in agricultural engineering from Cranfield University's Silsoe College. In 1988, he gained a Master of Arts (MA) degree in rural social development at the University of Reading and in 2005 a PhD in water and sanitation at Cranfield University.^[4][5]

Career

Mathew had stood unsuccessfully for the North Wiltshire seat in 2015, 2017 and 2019.^[6] He previously stood in North Somerset in 2010 but lost to Liam Fox.^[7]

Mathew previously worked for aid organisations, including WaterAid in Tanzania.^[8] He was elected for the Box & Colerne ward of Wiltshire Council in 2017 and re-elected in 2021.^[9]