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Matt is a young, energetic Harpenden resident who lives in the division he is representing. Though he has always loved politics, he was inspired to become a Councillor when he was at university. He was appalled by the condition of some social housing he visited. He said: “This made me question the way that councils look after the people who need their help the most and I wanted to be part of the solution.”
Matt was a Town Councillor, where he was chair of the planning committee, until 2023, was elected District Councillor in 2024 and now is involved at county level. He said: “If you are really concerned about an issue, for example speeding, there are things you can do as a district councillor and things you can do as a county councillor but unless you hold both roles you can’t follow things through. This is why I’m delighted to become a County Councillor. People in Harpenden are very switched on and know what a good council looks like and what a good decision looks like. Too often rather than go out and listen to those people, residents are having decisions made for them that aren’t in their best interests, by the Lib Dems.”
His favourite book is Jurassic Park. He said: “I think this is apt when talking about local politics because it’s about the dangers of messing with things that you can’t fully control. If the Lib Dems get things like the parking wrong, High St could go extinct. I have OCD which means I think differently to a lot of people and sometimes it means I have to work harder. I am really into processes and systems which is an asset when going into politics. I brought a motion to district council a few months ago that there should be a consultation on the next budget and it was dismissed.”
He said he found that disappointing as he “believes people deserve to be in the room when difficult conversations are taking place about the future of our community. The things that people want are a council that gets basic stuff right, keeps the town clean and tidy and doesn’t cause extra anxiety to their already busy and often stressful lives. Planning is obviously a massive concern. We are always talking about houses but we aren’t talking enough about places that people want to live in. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for people to have litter-free streets, good roads to be able to drive on and a great local school for them to send their children to.”
Matt said Harpenden is a fantastic place to live, with easy access to London and a brilliant high street: “We need to do everything we can to protect it from looking like every other high street out there.”
He enjoys walking on Harpenden Common and loves Skippers chip shop in Southdown and Brew & Cru coffee shop.
