About Paul Burstow

Constituency

Sutton & Cheam, London. 2010 General Election votes: 25 ,156 (47.5%). Majority: 1,608.

Date of Birth

13.05.1962

Education

• Glastonbury High School for Boys, Carshalton

• South Bank Polytechnic, London

Paul Burstow was born at St Helier Hospital, Carshalton. He comes from a family of tailors and seamstresses. His father was a Saville Row tailor.

Paul Burstow has been MP for Sutton and Cheam since 1997. Prior to his election he headed up the Liberal Democrat's Local Government Unit (ALDC) and was on Sutton Council - 1986-2002.

Since 1991 when he was appointed to chair the Council's Disability Forum, Paul has taken an active interest in disability issues. He was responsible for establishing a multi-agency group on disability issues and for pushing through the Council a comprehensive disability policy for the Borough.

He stood as a Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Sutton and Cheam in 1992 achieving the biggest swing to the Liberal Democrats in Greater London. He fought the seat again in 1997 defeating the incumbent Conservative MP and won again in 2001 and 2005.

On election to Parliament he became a junior frontbench spokesman on local government. In the autumn of 1997 Paddy Ashdown appointed him to lead the Party's local government team in the Commons. In 1999 Charles Kennedy offered him the older people brief, outside the Shadow Cabinet. After the 2001 General Election Paul joined the Shadow Cabinet with the cross-cutting brief of older people and social services. The brief involved shadowing Government policy and performance on a wide range of matters effecting the vulnerable. From October 2003 to May 2005 Paul headed the Party's Health Team as Shadow Secretary of State for Health, and between July 2005 and March 2006 he held the position of Shadow Minister for London. In March 2006 Paul was elected by his parliamentary colleagues to take on the role of Liberal Democrat Chief Whip.

In September 2003 Paul Burstow was named by the Guardian newspaper as one of the most influential people in public services and social policy in its 'Influencers 100'.

According to the Guardian it considered four main criteria: influence over policy, delivery of services and professional practice; transformative power - the ability to change institutions, places or perceptions; financial clout; and political muscle - judged either by proximity to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, or by robust and influential independence from Downing Street.

Mr Burstow was one of just five Members of Parliament listed by the paper, the others where Oliver Letwin, Frank Dobson, Steve Webb, and Frank Field.

The Guardian described Mr Burstow as: "One of the most knowledgeable and effective politicians on older people's issues, the Lib Dem spokesman at times seems the only parliamentarian taking a real interest in elderly care, and has almost single handedly kept older people's issues on the political agenda. He constantly wrongfoots ministers and has played a key role in exposing scandals of over-medication and elder abuse."

Read article in full on Guardian website

Paul Burstow was named London's hardest working MP by the Evening Standard newspaper in January 2005. The paper also gave Paul a five out of five star rating for his work as an MP. The Evening Standard compiled it's league table of the 74 London MPs by weighing up each MP's Parliamentary activity and attendance record, together with their expenses for financial year 2003-04.

The paper praised Paul and his Liberal Democrat colleagues for being hard working: "The sterling performances of the Liberal Democrats, who took the top three places in our poll, can be a matter of pride for the party. Such work, and the transparency of the figures that allow us to measure it, are important features of our democracy."

Read the Evening Standard's article "Is you MP good value?"

In addition to his front bench responsibilities Paul has been a member of the House of Commons Health Select Committee since July 2005, and was also on this committee between June 2003 and October 2004. Paul is also active in a number of all party groups (APPGs). He is Chair of the APPG on backcare, co-chair of the APPGs on Ageing and Older People and Primary Care and Public Health, Vice-Chair of the APPGs on Disability, Local Government, Social Care and MS and Secretary of the APPGs on Carers and Skin. Paul is also an NSPCC Parliamentary Ambassador, a Patron of the Relative & Residents Association and Trustee of the National Benevolent Fund for the Aged.

Paul was re-elected as the MP for Sutton and Cheam for the fourth time with a majority of 1608 votes in the 2010 general election. In May 2010 Paul was made Minister of State (care services), Health.

Paul is married to Mary and has three children. He enjoys cooking, reading and working out at the gym.

• View Paul's Biography on the Liberal Democrat Website