Paul Howell
MP
Member of Parliament
for Sedgefield
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byPhil Wilson
Majority4,513 (10.9%)
Member of Durham County Council
for Aycliffe North and Middridge
In office
4 May 2017 – 6 May 2021
Serving with Scott Durham
John Clare
Preceded byJoan Gray
John Clare
Mike Dixon
Succeeded byDavid Sutton-Lloyd
Michael Stead
Tony Stubbs
Personal details
Born (1960-01-10) 10 January 1960 (age 64)
Political partyConservative

Paul Howell (born 10 January 1960)[1] is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Sedgefield since 2019. Prior to his political career, he was an accountant.[2]

Early life and career

Howell was born in Bishop Auckland Hospital in County Durham. He was raised in Ferryhill and Newton Aycliffe and attended Dean Bank and Sugar Hill primary schools and The Avenue Comprehensive School. His father was a divisional fire officer. After leaving school, he worked as a chartered accountant for firms such as Darchem, Blue Circle Industries, and Wilsonart.[3] He has an MBA from Durham University.[4]

Political career

Howell joined the Conservative Party in 2010.[3] He was a councillor for Hummersknott ward on the Darlington Borough Council between 2019 and 2021.[5][6] He was also a councillor for Aycliffe North and Middridge on the Durham County Council between 2017 and 2021.[7]

He was elected as MP for Sedgefield at the 2019 general election with a majority of 4,513 (10.9%).[8] The constituency had previously been represented by a Labour Party MP since the 1935 general election including former PM Tony Blair who represented the constituency between 1983 and 2007.[9][10] He had previously contested Houghton and Sunderland South seat as the Conservative candidate in the 2017 general election.[11]

Howell has been a member of the Transport Select Committee since November 2022 and was a member of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee between March 2020 and October 2022.[12] On 14 June 2022, Howell became a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[13]

Personal life

Howell owns a property portfolio consisting of nine houses in Darlington, five houses in Durham and two flats in County Durham.[14]

References

  1. ^ Brunskill, Ian (2020). The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019. London: The Times. ISBN 9780008392581.
  2. ^ "Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs". PoliticsHome. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b "About Paul Howell". Paul Howell. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Paul Howell MP - Who is he?". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Election results for Hummersknott". Darlington Borough Council. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Mowden Ward and Red Hall and Lingfield Ward By-Elections". Darlington Borough Council. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Tories step down as Lib Dems bid to take on Labour in Aycliffe North". Aycliffe Today. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Last election result for Paul Howell". UK Parliament. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  9. ^ Conner-Hill, Rachel (13 December 2019). "'As a boy from Ferryhill I'm so proud' says Conservative Paul Howell as he defeats Phil Wilson in Sedgefield". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  10. ^ "The Rt Hon Tony Blair". gov.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Houghton and Sunderland South". UK Parliament. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Parliamentary career for Paul Howell". UK Parliament. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  13. ^ @PaulHowellMP (14 June 2022). "I am delighted to announce that I have been promoted to the position of Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) at @DefraGovUK" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ Conner-Hill, Rachel (15 November 2021). "Sedgefield's Paul Howell – The region's MP who owns most properties". The Northern Echo.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byPhil Wilson Member of Parliamentfor Sedgefield 2019–present Incumbent
Conservative Party MPs in the North East
Categories