Biography

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton, Cheam and Worcester, since 1997, was appointed Minister of State for Care Services in May 2010.

Paul was born in May 1962 at St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, and comes from a family of tailors and seamstresses. His father was a Savile Row tailor. Paul was educated at Glastonbury High School for Boys, Carshalton, and the South Bank Polytechnic (now South Bank University) in London.

Paul first stood as Liberal Democrat candidate for Sutton and Cheam in 1992, when he achieved the biggest swing to the Liberal Democrats in Greater London. Prior to his success in winning the seat in 1997, Paul headed the Liberal Democrats' local government unit (the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors), having already been one of the principal architects of the Liberal Democrats' capture of Sutton borough council from the Conservatives in 1986. Paul led Sutton's pioneering work on "green" environmental issues, which won the borough a reputation both nationally and internationally as a pioneer in recycling and energy conservation.

On election to Parliament Paul became a junior frontbench spokesman on local government and within a few months Paddy Ashdown appointed him to lead the party's local government team in the Commons. In 1999 Charles Kennedy offered him the job of speaking for older people, and after the 2001 General Election invited him to join the Shadow Cabinet with the same brief covering issues affecting the elderly and vulnerable in the responsibilities of several government departments. In 2003 Paul was promoted to be Shadow Health Secretary Between July 2005 and March 2006 he was Shadow Minister for London. He was agent for Sir Menzies Campbell's successful party leadership campaign in early 2006. In March 2006, he was elected the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the House of Commons.

In the 2010 elections, Paul was re-elected as the MP for Sutton and Cheam.
Between May 2010 and September 2012 he was appointed Minister of State for Care Services. His areas of responsibility were care for the elderly, adult social care, mental health services, and learning disability programs. He was also responsible for reforming social care law and funding.

Experience

Political Secretary for ALDC 1996-97; buyer for Allied Shoe Repairs; worked for a Printing Company in Chiswick; Organising Secretary for the Association of Social Democrat Councillors 1986

Parliamentary Experience

2010 - 2012 Minister of State for Care Services;
2006-2010 Chief Whip; 2005-6 spokesperson for London;
2005- Health Select Committee; 2003-05 Shadow Health Secretary;
1997-03 spokesman for Older People (including long-term personal care).

Interests

Cooking, reading and walking

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