Ian Walton

Infobox_Politician
name = Ian Alexander Walton


birth_date = Birth date and age|1970|2|17|df=y
birth_place = Beverley, United Kingdom
residence = Splott, Cardiff, Wales
alma_mater = Trinity College, Carmarthen
party = Welsh Liberal Democrats
religion = Methodist

Ian Alexander Walton (b. February 17, 1970, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire) is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician.

Political life

Walton joined the Liberal Party at the age of 17 and held numerous positions at a local level in Hessle, Beverley Constituency and within Humberside.

As a student in Wales (1988 - 1992), he was President of the Students' Union at Trinity College, Carmarthen (1990-1991). After graduating with a degree in Humanities (19th & 20th Century Studies), Walton returned to his native East Yorkshire, working voluntarily for the Liberal Democrat Groups on the now defunct Beverley Borough and Humberside County Councils.

In 1994 he moved to London where he held a number of posts within the Liberal Democrats Headquarters including Marketing and Promotions Manager and ultimately Deputy Director of Conferences and Events.

During this time he was also a Liberal Democrat councillor for the Downham Ward of Lewisham Council (1998-2002) and served as President of the Liberal Democrat Youth and Students (2001 - 2003) as well as being a member of the Party's Federal Executive (1999 - 2003).

In 2002, Walton left London and went to Belfast to work for the Liberal Democrats' sister party, the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Whilst there he was initially selected to contest Foyle in the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly Elections, However, due to the elections being initially postponed and then cancelled indefinitely by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in May 2003, Walton never actually faced the electorate of Foyle (the elections eventually took place on November 26 2003 but by which time he was back in London).

In 2007 Walton stood for the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in the Welsh Assembly Election, 2007. He has recently been selected to contest Caerphilly at the next Westminster General Election.

Currently Walton is employed by the Welsh Liberal Democrats as Party Manager in Cardiff Bay.

External links

* [http://www.welshlibdems.org.uk/e-whoweare_detail.asp?memberNo=217 Welsh Liberal Democrat Candidate Entry]