About me
From Pembrokeshire to Portugal
I grew up in Pembroke Dock, on the Pembrokeshire coast of west Wales. It's where I was first elected and where I later served as Mayor. Today I live in Montijo, just across the Tagus from Lisbon. I moved to Portugal to be with my boyfriend, who is Portuguese, and I'm working towards fluency in the language, with my B2 exam coming up.
I'm a keen traveller and have visited more than 50 countries, which is probably where my fascination with why places develop so differently began. Music is my other love: I've passed Grade 1 piano and I'm still learning, one scale at a time.
I'm also a trustee of The VC Gallery, a charity supporting veterans and vulnerable people through art and mental health services. I like all things outdoors, especially running, swimming and cycling, and I once completed an ultramarathon.
50+
countries visited
🎹
Grade 1 piano, and still learning
B2
Portuguese, exam coming up
🏃
Ultramarathon finisher
Public service · Wales & Westminster
A former life in politics
I was first elected in 2017 in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, at the age of 19, becoming the youngest county councillor in the UK at the time. Over the following years I served as Mayor of my home town, ran the finance portfolio of a £300m council and worked for a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons. Watching economic change play out in real communities, and in how people feel about the institutions that serve them, is what led me to my PhD.
19
age when elected in 2017, the UK's youngest county councillor
£300m
annual capital and revenue budget overseen
£30m+
deficit closed while protecting priority services
£150k+
raised for a disability-friendly community park
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2017 – 2026
County Councillor
Pembrokeshire County Council · Cabinet Member for Finance, 2024 – 2025
- Fiscal management. As Cabinet Member for Finance, I helped oversee a £300m annual budget and closed a deficit of over £30m through savings, council tax changes and income generation, while protecting priority services.
- Net Zero. I designed and implemented the council's first Net Zero Action Plan, focused on energy efficiency and decarbonisation that cut costs and attracted new economic activity.
- Waste strategy. I led a strategy based on cost-benefit analysis, which reached a 70% recycling rate and cut landfill.
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2024 – 2025
Senior Communications Advisor
House of Commons
- Economic and fiscal briefings. I analysed economic, fiscal and social data to brief a Member of Parliament on budgets, public spending and key reforms, including distributional impacts.
- Communicating policy. I turned complex economic and policy issues into clear messages for constituents and stakeholders across digital channels.
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2017 – 2022
Town Councillor
Pembroke Dock Town Council · Deputy Mayor, then Mayor, 2021 – 2022
- Civic leadership. As Deputy Mayor and then Mayor, I represented the town at official functions and chaired council meetings with a focus on transparency and inclusivity.
- Community projects. I worked with councillors, community groups and partners to improve public spaces, local infrastructure and wellbeing.
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2021
Local Government Association Leadership Programme
Residential programme for councillors covering personal, political and place-based leadership
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2020
Future Generations Leadership Academy
Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
- A ten-month, cross-sector programme on putting the Well-being of Future Generations Act into practice.
- I represented Wales at One Young World in Munich and joined discussions with EU institutions in Brussels.
- I spoke at a UN Environment Programme event in New York on influencing change through politics.
Beyond the council chamber
Community & public health
Alongside elected office, I've worked in the NHS in Wales and served as a trustee for local charities.
2023 – 2025
Programme Manager, NHS Performance & Assurance
I led national eating disorder programmes that improved access to evidence-based care for over 2,000 patients a year across Wales.
2022 – 2023
Project Manager, Hywel Dda University Health Board
I oversaw medical contracts across 12 clinics serving around 100,000 residents, and a £750k digital investment budget.
2018 – present
Trustee & Treasurer, The VC Gallery
A non-profit supporting veterans and vulnerable people through art and mental health services.
2018 – 2025
Trustee & Company Secretary, Friends of Pembroke Dock Memorial Park
We raised over £150,000 for a disability-friendly, inclusive public park.