Dr Brian Mathew is the Liberal Democrat MP for Melksham and Devizes, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Mathew won 20,031 votes, representing 39.1% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Michelle Donelan, received 17,630 votes (34.4%), while the Reform UK candidate, Malcolm Cupis, secured 6,726 votes (13.1%). Mathew was duly elected with a majority of 2,401.

The Melksham and Devizes constituency, which was newly created ahead of the 2024 election, is located in Wiltshire, in the South West of England. It was formed from parts of the former Chippenham, Devizes and North Wiltshire constituencies – all previously held by the Conservative Party.

The former Chippenham constituency was represented by Michelle Donelan, the serving secretary of state for science, innovation and technology at the time of the 2024 election, from 2015 to 2024.

Political Career

Mathew is a member of the House of Commons international development select committee (since October 2024) – the committee responsible for scrutinising the work of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in respect of aid policy.

In June 2025, Mathew led a Westminster Hall debate on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding freeze enacted by the Trump administration. He described the move as a “mistake and a blunder, or a cruel and cynical ploy for popularity that will result in harm and suffering for the poorest on the planet.”

He warned that retreating from global health, water and sanitation infrastructures would create a catastrophic vacuum that directly undermines western security.

Mathew further condemned the government’s decision to cut aid spending to 0.3% of gross national income by 2027. He said it was “indefensible and counterproductive” for the UK to “follow suit and cut aid in an attempt to raise funds for increasing defence spend.”

He stated: “International development is… smart policy. It reduces the risks that we would otherwise spend billions more to contain. What should we do? We must reaffirm our commitment to restoring the 0.7% target and publicly commit not to just the rhetoric of aid, but to actually doing it – and doing it well…

“It is time for us to stand up and be counted.”

In November 2025, Mathew secured an adjournment debate on government support in Sudan, arguing that ministers should escalate its diplomatic and humanitarian response to the civil war. Mathew drew on his background as a former aid worker who lived and worked in the region.

He proposed that the government should lead efforts to implement a binding, nationwide arms embargo across Sudan, suspend all arms sales to the United Arab Emirates over possible breaches of international law and convene a Lancaster House-style peace conference.

Speaking in the commons, he stated: “Right now in Sudan, a war as murderous and horrible as anything the world has faced is shattering the lives of civilians, of children, of women and of men, in ways we can scarcely countenance.

“I have secured this debate because what is going on in Sudan cannot continue…

“The world needs to wake up. As the penholder, we have the means and the moral responsibility to act and ensure that we and the rest of the world do not turn our backs on Sudan once more.”

Mathew is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for water, sanitation and hygiene.

Mathew delivered his maiden speech on 29 July 2024 during a debate on the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.

In it, he said: “I have already reached out to the secretary of state for Health and Social Care to ensure that NHS issues across my constituency are dealt with, including the plight of the GPs of the Three Shires Group of rural surgeries, who have had to take a two-month salary break to keep their surgeries solvent.

“In Melksham there are calls for the return of basic services at the local hospital, and across the constituency NHS dental services are in freefall, with people wondering how they will be able to afford the cost of basic treatment.”

He added: “I want to end by reflecting on the words of the late Jo Cox, who famously said that there is more that unites us than divides us. There is also more that we can achieve across parties by working together on issues such as health and social care and, indeed, social housing provision.”

Before entering parliament, Mathew was elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Wiltshire Council in 2017. He stood down from the council in 2025.

Mathew stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for North Wiltshire at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections. He stood in the North Somerset constituency at the 2010 general election.

Political Views

The Liberal Democrats (or Lib Dems) are a liberal political party, occupying the centre to centre-left ground in British politics.

The preamble to the Lib Dem constitution begins: “The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.”

The Liberal Democrat autumn conference in 2021 ratified a policy paper entitled What Liberal Democrats Believe. The paper, an attempt to expand on the constitution’s preamble, was framed around seven “principles and values”.

The party’s core values were described as “liberty, equality, democracy, community, internationalism and environmentalism.”

Mathew is a member of the Green Liberal Democrats, an official environmental group within the Liberal Democrats. It aims to “promote a green approach to policy formation within the Liberal Democrats” and “develop links with the wider green movement.” The grouping, formed in 1977 as a faction within the Liberal Party, is “committed to a net-zero and nature positive future and driving ambition across the national party and in local governance.”

Brexit and Europe

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Mathew voted in favour of the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill. The bill, introduced under the 10-minute rule procedure by Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, sought to mandate the government to enter into negotiations with the European Union to establish a bespoke customs union. In total, 13 Labour MPs joined the Liberal Democrats in supporting the motion, while the majority of the party abstained.

Electoral reform

Proportional representation bill: In December 2024, Mathew voted in favour of the Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill – introduced by Liberal Democrat frontbencher Sarah Olney under the 10-minute rule procedure. The bill sought to “introduce a system of proportional representation for parliamentary elections and for local government elections in England”.

A total of 138 MPs supported the bill – with 136 opposed. Notably, 59 Labour MPs backed Olney’s bill.

Introducing the bill, Olney told the House: “First past the post is a broken and unfair system. This summer, the Labour party won a landslide election victory, securing 63% of seats in the House of Commons in return for just 34% of the vote.

“The system leaves millions of voices unheard and creates a divisive, adversarial political climate where collaboration is discouraged and accountability is often sidestepped.”

Assisted dying

Mathew voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at second reading (November 2024). However, he went on to vote against the bill at third reading (June 2025).

Shortly before the bill’s third reading, Mathew said he had “several concerns I feel have been inadequately answered”.

Mathew was one of 14 MPs to oppose the bill at third reading having supported it at second reading.

Social values and conscience issues

Mathew was one of the 38 Liberal Democrat MPs who voted for the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 at its House of Commons third reading.

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Mathew voted in favour of a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Palestine

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Mathew was among the over 254 MPs to sign a cross-party letter calling for the government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. The letter called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to recognise Palestine at the UN Conference then taking place in New York.

Before Politics

Mathew studied development studies at the University of East Anglia, graduating in 1983. He later obtained a master’s degree from the University of Reading in rural social development.

Mathew also holds a PhD in water, sanitation and health education from Cranfield University.

Mathew held a series of roles relating to international development and environmental engineering. He had a 30-year career as an aid worker, working in water, sanitation and hygiene.

In June 2025, he stated: “For much of my career I have worked in international aid, primarily in water, sanitation and hygiene, working to give people across Africa and the developing world access to clean drinking water, safe sanitation and good hygiene.”

Personal Life

Mathew grew up with two deaf sisters.

Mathew drew on the death of one of his sisters ahead of the June 2025 assisted dying bill vote at third reading.

He told ITV: “My sister… she’d been battling cancer for a decade and towards the end she was out of consciousness most of the time. But just literally a few days before she died, she suddenly became lucid.

“This was a lady who had been profoundly deaf her whole life, so communication had never been easy. She wanted to speak to her then young sons, and she did. They came and she wanted to give them advice on life, telling them to do the best in their lives, precious things.”

He added: “If she had clocked out early, that would not have been able to happen.”

He identifies as a Christian.

Trivia

Mathew was one of 15 Liberal Democrats to vote against the assisted dying bill at third reading.