With campaigning for the General Election under way in the South West Wiltshire constituency we meet the Liberal Democrat candidate.

TWENTY years since he first ventured into local politics, Liberal Democrat candidate Trevor Carbin believes that he has become a “jack of all trades” in addressing key political issues which are important to Wiltshire residents.

The 63-year-old, who lives in Hilperton, moved to the county in 1992 with his wife Olga, and three years later he became a local district councillor. Since then, he believes he has been able to understand and share residents' concerns over cuts to local services for healthcare.

Mr Carbin said: “If you made a league table of the things that that people are talking about, the NHS is probably at the top and people are concerned about the privatisation of it.

“Transport is also another thing, obviously in the West Wilts area getting to the hospital is a struggle and we’ve had these cutbacks on the Hopper service which has upset a few people and so there’s a lot of things you need to look at.”

Mr Carbin, who also works as a part-time driving instructor and exam invigilator at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, previously ran to become MP for the area in 2010 but only secured 31 per cent of the vote.

Mr Carbin first got into politics at the age of 19 when he was at the University of Leeds studying geophysics which he believes couldn’t be further away from politics.

He said: “I started to get into politics when I was a student up in Leeds and the local Liberal party were involved in housing issues. The council were demolishing old housing and they were putting people into tower blocks and not all of them wanted to.”

On graduating, Mr Carbin directed his interests towards archaeology which allowed him to explore the world and it was on a working trip to Bulgaria that he met his wife.

Mr Carbin grew up in Ilminster in Somerset and despite his parents not having a background in politics, they were always keen to encourage him to get involved in society.

He added: “My father was involved in a lot of local things like Royal British Legion my mother was part of the Women’s Institute so I saw them getting involved in society but the political side that was something I picked up on.”

Mr Carbin is currently a backbench councillor at Wiltshire Council representing Holt and Staverton and it is through this work which has highlighted that employment is another key issue which needs to be addressed in the constituency.

Mr Carbin said: “I think people would like more high tech employment being attracted into the area or something with more of a solid foundation with the opportunity to move into much better paid jobs without having to go off to Bath, Bristol or Swindon.

He added: “What I am trying to do is represent and stand up for the local people with all the different problems they come forward with which is the best part of the job.”

FACT FILE

Age: 63

Address: Church Street, Hilperton, Trowbridge

Occupation: Part time driving instructor

Marital status: Married

Children: Three children 

Standing in South West Wiltshire are: George Aylett (Labour); Matthew Brown (UKIP); Trevor Carbin (Lib Dem); Andrew Murrison (Conservative); Phil Randle (Green).