Charlie Maynard

Charlie Maynard
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Liberal Democrat Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office
1 October 2025 – 9 October 2026
LeaderEd Davey
Member of Parliament
for Witney
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byRobert Courts
Majority4,339 (8.6%)
Member of West Oxfordshire District Council for Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 May 2022
Personal details
BornCharles Adrian MacFie Maynard
February 1971 (age 55)
PartyLiberal Democrats
EducationChrist Church, Oxford
Websitewww.charliemaynard.org

Charles Adrian MacFie Maynard (born February 1971) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Witney since 2024. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he gained the seat from Robert Courts, a member of the Conservative Party. Maynard was previously a member of West Oxfordshire District Council and founder of mergers and acquisitions firm BDA Partners in 1996. He previously served as the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury between 2025 and 2026.

Early life and education

Maynard was born in Southampton. He studied geography at Christ Church, Oxford from 1990 to 1993.

Career before Parliament

Maynard co-founded BDA Partners, an international investment advice company, in 1996 when he was 25. BDA Partners is a global advisor on mergers and acquisitions with nine offices across Asia, Europe and the US. He resigned as managing partner in December 2020 and made a move into politics, saying he wanted  “to do more to help people, protect our environment and do his part to get our country headed in a better direction”. This led him to work first to volunteer and then serve as a trustee at Citizens Advice West Oxfordshire. He also chaired the Witney Oxford Transport Group, and worked full time, pro-bono for 18 months to develop a project to rebuild the railway link between Carterton, Witney, Eynsham and Oxford. He has continued to advocate for this since his election to Parliament.

Maynard was elected as a district councillor for Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt at the 2022 West Oxfordshire District Council election. He was selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Witney in December 2022. He served as the District Council's Executive Member for Planning and Sustainable Development from November 2023 until standing down in May 2024 in order to stand for Parliament. Following his election as MP, Maynard resigned his council seat in 2025.

Parliamentary career

Maynard was elected as Member of Parliament for Witney in the 2024 general election. He received 41.2 per cent of the vote and a majority of 4,339 over the incumbent Conservative MP Robert Courts, then Solicitor General for England and Wales, who had represented the seat since 2016. Maynard became the first non-Conservative MP elected for Witney since 1922.

On 18 February 2025, Maynard participated on behalf of Thames Water customers at a high court hearing, arguing against the approval for an emergency debt package worth up to £3bn. When the judge ruled in favour of Thames Water, Maynard also led an appeal against the decision, and appeared at the Court of Appeal hearing on 11 March 2025, acting on behalf of over 25 MPs, 34 charities and several individual Thames Water customers to argue the judge had been wrong to sanction the bail-out. On 17 June 2025, Maynard announced that he and a group of Thames Water's secondary creditors would be taking their case against the company's restructuring to the Supreme Court. In November 2025, The Guardian revealed that Thames Water had unsuccessfully sought a Supreme Court ruling that Maynard should be required to pay the company's legal fees of up to £1,400 an hour.

From October 2025 until 9 October 2026, Maynard held the role of Liberal Democrat Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. As Liberal Democrat Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, he often contributed to Parliamentary debates on economic issues. He frequently argued that the level of national debt is too high and has called for reform of the Government’s ‘fiscal rules’ on the basis that they are “easily gamed” and “our national debt is now six times larger than 20 years ago”.

Maynard is a Member of the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Select Committee since September 2024 where he has raised issues including: Russian Trade Sanctions; challenged Ticketmaster and Live Nation on their market share; small businesses; Competition and Market Authority; UK trade with the US, India and EU.

Maynard has quizzed ministers on Israel arms exports in December 2024, September 2025, and most recently in July 2026 when he got Minister Chris Bryant to commit to publishing data on actual arms deliveries under export licences from the first quarter of 2027.

Maynard was a strong opponent of Brexit and frequently speaks about economic impact of the Brexit deal. He is a strong advocate of rebuilding closer trading relationships with Europe and has said he would like to see Britain rejoin the EU.

Maynard has expressed concerns about the security risks from Artificial Intelligence, saying "AI is a huge opportunity, but it also comes with significant risks". He has raised multiple questions about this in Parliament.

Maynard is the Vice-Chair of the Less Survivable Cancers APPG and a member of the Brain Cancer APPG. . He has participated in numerous Backbench Business and Westminster Hall debates on the subject calling for tissue freezing and storage for research and the need for whole genome sequencing. His sister Georgie Maynard was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in May 2023 and is the founder of the activist group Brain Cancer Justice.

Maynard often speaks about issues impacting farmers. He opposed the end of Agricultural Property Relief for family farms and has criticised the administration of grants to support farmers.

Maynard voted in favour of the recent Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. He said he supports the principle for adults who have the mental capacity "to avoid suffering in their final months…[but] would not have supported the bill if he "was not confident in the protections it contains".

On 9 October 2026, Maynard resigned as a Treasury Spokesperson and asked for other Liberal Democrat MPs to support a vote of no confidence in Ed Davey as Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Personal life

Maynard's wife, Sophie Roell, founded and runs Fivebooks.com, a book-recommendation website based on interviews and experts. They have three children.

Maynard's family hosted Syrian refugees in their home from 2016-2017 and Ukrainian refugees in 2021. Maynard has run two marathons, including the New York Marathon which he finished in 3 hours 15 minutes, raising money for Whizz Kidz.

His father, Adrian Maynard served in the RAF from 1939 to 1946 in 201 and 240 flying boat squadrons. His maternal grandfather, Gerald Saunt (W. H. G. Saunt) was a Commander in the Fleet Air Arm and was awarded a DSO and DSC.

In 2023 his sister Georgie was diagnosed with brain cancer. She is founder of Brain Cancer Justice.

References

  1. ↑ "No. 64465". The London Gazette. 22 July 2024. p. 14086.
  2. ↑ "Register of Interests: Councillor Charlie Maynard". West Oxfordshire District Council. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  3. ↑ "BDA Partners". BDA Partners. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  4. ↑ "About Us". BDA Partners. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  5. ↑ "Charlie Maynard MP". www.charliemaynard.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "Rebuilding Our Railway - Charlie Maynard MP". www.charliemaynard.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "Rail Connectivity: Oxfordshire - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 27 March 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "Councillor details - Councillor Charlie Maynard". meetings.westoxon.gov.uk. 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "West Oxfordshire District Council". westoxon.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "District Councillor Charlie Maynard to fight Witney Parliamentary Constituency". www.oxonld.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "NOTICE OF VACANCY IN OFFICE OF COUNCILLOR - STANDLAKE, ASTON AND STANTON HARCOURT WARD" (PDF). WODC. 13 March 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Witney – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "Witney | General Election 2024". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  14. ↑ Robinson, Adele (6 July 2024). "In the former Tory stronghold of Witney, it is all too clear why loyal supporters shunned the party". Sky News. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  15. ↑ Norris, Miranda (3 February 2025). "Oxfordshire MP's barristers slam Thames Water bailout". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  16. ↑ Parke, Callum (18 February 2025). "MP says he intends to appeal against approval of Thames Water restructure plans". The Independent. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  17. ↑ Smith, Christian (21 February 2025). "Thames Water's £3bn appeal to be heard next month". The Lawyer. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  18. ↑ Kenney, Esme (13 March 2025). "Oxfordshire MP challenges Thames Water £3bn bailout". Bicester Advertiser. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  19. ↑ Taylor, Guy (17 June 2025). "MP to take Thames Water to Supreme Court over restructuring plan". City A.M. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  20. ↑ Jolly, Jasper (17 February 2026). "Thames Water tried to make MP pay its legal fees of up to £1,400 an hour". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "People". www.libdems.org.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  22. ↑ "Economic Growth - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  23. ↑ "Economic Growth - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  24. ↑ "25 February 2026 - The UK's trade sanctions regime - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  25. ↑ committees.parliament.uk https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/16199/html/. Retrieved 8 October 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ↑ "Small business strategy - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  27. ↑ "Speeches — Charlie Maynard · Beyond the Vote". Beyond The Vote. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  28. ↑ "UK trade with the US, India and EU - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  29. ↑ "Business and Trade Committee". 10 December 2024.
  30. ↑ "Business and Trade Sub-Committee". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  31. ↑ "Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls — Oral Evidence (HC 560)". beyondthevote.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  32. ↑ "Economic Growth - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  33. ↑ "Charlie Maynard MP 🔶 (@cammaynard) on X". X (formerly Twitter). 2 October 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  34. ↑ "Budget Resolutions". 1 December 2025.
  35. ↑ "Charlie Maynard MP 🔶 (@cammaynard) on X". X (formerly Twitter). 10 July 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  36. ↑ 24 reactions · 10 comments | We need to move fast on AI security. New, incredibly powerful AI models are being created every few weeks – and they are starting to self-improve, making changes to themselves without any input from humans. The UK currently has no control or agency over which models go into the public domain, and no real mechanism to step in if something goes wrong. What we need now is a national regulator which has real teeth and control. We also need to use our diplomatic skills internationally to help create an international regulator. Both of these tasks are hard and need to be done quickly. I’ve been pushing hard on this. I questioned the AI Minister on this issue when he was in front of the Business and Trade Select Committee in the summer. The Committee is asking him and the AI Security Institute to come back in front of us ASAP. I’ve submitted 17 written questions to the AI Minister and have also signed a letter along with 70 other parliamentarians asking for a clear timeline on strengthening the UK’s AI security framework and what protections apply in the meantime. We need answers and action, fast. | Charlie Maynard MP for Witney. Retrieved 8 October 2026 – via www.facebook.com.
  37. ↑ "Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament". questions-statements.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  38. ↑ "All Party Parliamentary Group on Less Survivable Cancers". Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  39. ↑ "All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours | Campaign to find a cure". Brain Tumour Research. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  40. ↑ "Brain Tumour Survival Rates — 9 February 2026". Westminster Brief. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  41. ↑ "Charlie Maynard extracts from Advanced Brain Cancer: Tissue Freezing (7th January 2026)". www.parallelparliament.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  42. ↑ "Bobby Dean vs Charlie Maynard - Debate Excerpts". www.parallelparliament.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  43. ↑ Rogers, Helen (8 May 2025). "Supporter Group, Maynards, raise close to £40k with fundraising Bluebell Walk!". The Brain Tumour Charity. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  44. ↑ "Charlie Maynard extracts from Clause 1 (12th January 2026)". parallelparliament.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  45. ↑ "Backing Our Farmers Across Oxfordshire". www.charliemaynard.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  46. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  47. ↑ "How did Oxfordshire MPs vote on defeated assisted dying bill?". Oxford Mail. 12 September 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  48. ↑ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third Reading". 20 June 2025.
  49. ↑ Pickard, Jim (9 October 2026), Lib Dem MP launches attempt to topple leader Ed Davey
  50. ↑ "About Charlie". Charlie Maynard. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  51. ↑ "New York Road Runners Official Race Results". results.nyrr.org. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  52. ↑ "Cape Matapan Triumph". Warfare History Network. Archived from the original on 14 April 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  53. ↑ "Oxfordshire mum with brain tumour backs research funding calls". www.bbc.com. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  54. ↑ "Brain Cancer Justice | Support Brain Cancer Awareness". Brain Cancer Justice. Retrieved 8 October 2026.