Sir Paul was first elected as Member of Parliament for Mole Valley in 1997. He has had an extensive and distinguished career in politics which dates back to 1978 when he was first elected as a Councillor for Wandsworth Council. Sir Paul went on to lead Wandsworth Council and it was during this time that he was knighted for his services to inner city rehabilitation. He went on to be elected as Member of Parliament for Croydon Central in 1992, where he served as MP for five years.
Sir Paul has served as a Minister for the Department of the Environment from 1994-1997 and has held various committee assignments in the House of Commons; serving on the Education, Environment, Communities & Local Government and Transport Select Committees at various points as well as for a number of years on the House of Commons Commission.
Most recently, he served as Chairman of the Administration Committee, in which capacity he took a leading role in the day to day running of the House of Commons estate - as well as key decisions on the multi-billion Pound restoration and renewal project to bring the infrastructure of the Palace of Westminster into the 21st century while at the same time preserving its historic splendour and resonance.
As an active backbench MP Sir Paul currently pursues a wide range of legislative and political interests including:
- Leading the campaign to protect Mole Valley’s precious Green Belt and fighting to ensure that unsuitable and unsustainable housing development does not blight our rural communities. In tandem with this he is pushing for new laws to protect the countryside and those who live there from disruptive and damaging Traveller incursions.
- As a trained dentist Sir Paul frequently inputs to policy on the topic, advising Ministers, acting as a voice for the profession in Parliament and advocating for bold policies which will have a lasting, noticeable impact – including water fluoridation.
- Sir Paul has spent a large amount of his time in Parliament pushing for new legislation to protect children and better prosecute those who seek to harm them. He has introduced a wide range of Private Members Bills, Ten Minute Rule Bills and amendments to existing legislation which, cumulatively, have had a real impact in this area. You can read more about what Sir Paul has achieved in this field HERE.
- In an increasingly uncertain world, Sir Paul maintains a keen interest in foreign policy. His particular focus is the challenge posed by China and Russia. As a Member of the China Research Group of MPs Sir Paul regularly discusses, analyses, and seeks to raise the public’s awareness of the serious threat which the ascendant CCP poses to the Western political order.
In addition to these particular areas of interest, Sir Paul also spends a great deal of time dealing with the wide range of issues brought to him directly by constituents. These can vary enormously in nature and might concern anything from legal issues, immigration problems or tax concerns to school places, concern at upcoming legislation or problems accessing some Government service. Sir Paul has many years’ experience dealing with these matters and will always, together with his local government colleagues, do what he can to help.
If you would like to follow Sir Paul on social media, you can find him on Facebook at @SirPaulBeresford.
If you would like to sign up to his constituency newsletters, please click HERE.
To see Sir Paul's latest report back to Mole Valley, please click here.