About Julian

I grew up here in Cambridge, having moved here while still a baby. I went to both school and University here, and stayed on to do a PhD in biological chemistry, and am now a research scientist. While I haven't always worked in Cambridge, it has always been my home. During this time, I have lived in many parts of the city, in the north, the east, the south and the west, in older and newer housing, and in more affluent and poorer areas. Seeing how these different parts of the city interact has always fascinated me. I now live with my long-term girlfriend, between Newmarket Road and Stourbridge Common.

Julian is the Chair of the Friends of Stourbridge Common   

I was always interested in what was happening in politics, but was not initially into party politics; rather, I cared about how things were run and what ought to be happening. Looking back on it, I suspect I was always clearly on the liberal, progressive, green side of any discussion, but it wasn't until I was 17 that a Lib Dem leaflet dropped through my door by Ian Nimmo-Smith persuaded me to join the party, where I was signed up by David Howarth and Sal Brinton. Meeting Philippa Slatter at a party then persuaded me to become active, and my first big involvement was running student campaigning for the 1997 General Election. I had the privilege of representing my City for eight years as County Councillor for East Chesterton, campaigning both on local matters in my ward and a whole series of broader issues both locally and nationally. 

Julian when first elected to the County Council

I have had many other interests outside politics and science - playing percussion in venues from West Road and Ely Cathedral to the Sydney Opera House; working as a volunteer with St John Ambulance, with whom I trained to be an Ambulance Technician, responding to a variety of incidents around the County, including a stabbing at Strawberry Fair. I enjoy cooking, and recently did a week's course in chef's skills. I am also a keen cyclist, both for commuting and for long-distance travelling, and have done a number of sponsored rides, including an event earlier this year to raise money for Liberty and commemorating the 200th anniversary of the death of Thomas Paine, author of the 'Rights of Man' and other great works. I personally raised over £1,800 for the cause.

I have a long-standing interest in Internationalism, the UN and human rights; I have organised a number of UN-based conferences, and while a student founded a series of Human Rights conferences in Spain. I am currently Chair of Trustees for a small Cambridge charity supporting awareness of the UN and its works. I have also worked for the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and our report on the Bulgarian education system, published in 2002, led to significant changes in how education is provided in Bulgaria. I am now on the national Council of Liberty (formerly the National Council for Civil Liberties), and advise Shami Chakrabarti, our Director, on various scientific aspects of human rights and civil liberties, such as the national DNA database.

Julian at a school in Plovdiv, Bulgaria

It would be an honour to be the MP for this great City, so that I can continue to stand up for our liberal, progressive, green and international values. I hope you will support me.