Councillor Chris White, Liberal Democrat , St Albans Central

My front-line role

I am the Liberal Democrat County Councillor for St Albans Central division.  The ‘Your Community’ section provides local service information, news, events, and contacts about the area.

I represent the interests of around 12,000 residents in my division and work with the local district council (St Albans) and town councils.

As is the case with every County Councillor, I have a locality budget of £10,000 a year to spend on community projects in the division.  Follow the links for more details of the scheme and details of applications I have previously agreed and declined.

My County Council responsibilities

I was elected to Hertfordshire County Council in 1993 and became leader of the Liberal Democrat Group in 1994.  In 1995 I was part of a joint Administration with Labour, taking the formal title of Deputy Leader of the Council in 1997 until 1999 when the Administration ended.  After standing down as the Liberal Democrat Group Leader in 2003, I resumed the leadership in 2005.

I currently sit on the Employment Committee, the Children’s Services & Corporate Parenting Cabinet Panel and the Herts Local & Libraries Cabinet Panel.

Roles on outside bodies

I am a member of the Local Government Association (LGA) and I currently Chair the Culture, Tourism and Sport Board as well as being an ex officio member of the Local Government Association Executive.  I am also a member of the Nations and Regions Group of London 2012.

Personal, professional and political details

I was born in 1959 in Coventry and have lived at various times in Hereford, Doncaster, Pinner, Brussels, Northwood and Westminster.  I moved with my wife to St Albans in 1985.  I have two children who both attended local schools.

I was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford where I read Literae Humaniores (Classics) and took an upper second.

I qualified as a chartered accountant in 1984 and worked subsequently in accountancy training, much of it self-employed.  I have also done consultancy work for the IDeA.

I was first a district council candidate for the Liberal Democrats in St Albans in 1986 and 1987 but turned to parliamentary elections in 1990.  In 1992 I turned in a good second place in Hertford and Stortford. I stood in Hitchin and Harpenden in 1997.

In 1999 I was on the East of England list for the European elections and again in 2004 (where I was placed second).

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