Paul Howell (Sedgefield MP) explained

Paul Howell
Office:Member of Parliament
for Sedgefield
Term Start:12 December 2019
Term End:30 May 2024
Predecessor:Phil Wilson
Successor:Constituency Abolished
Office1:Member of Durham County Council
for Aycliffe North and Middridge
Alongside1:Scott Durham
John Clare
Term Start1:4 May 2017
Term End1:6 May 2021
Predecessor1:Joan Gray
John Clare
Mike Dixon
Successor1:David Sutton-Lloyd
Michael Stead
Tony Stubbs
Birth Date:10 January 1960
Birth Place:Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England
Party:Conservative Party

Paul Howell (born 10 January 1960)[1] is a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sedgefield from 2019 until 2024. Prior to his political career, he was an accountant.[2]

Early life and career

Paul Howell was born on 10 January 1960 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. He has a Master of Business Administration degree from Durham University.[3] After leaving school, he worked as a chartered accountant for firms such as Darchem, Blue Circle Industries, and Wilsonart.[4]

Political career

Howell joined the Conservative Party in 2010.[4] 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]

Howell unsuccessfully contested Houghton and Sunderland South at the 2017 general election, coming second with 29.7% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Bridget Phillipson.[8]

At the 2019 general election, Howell was elected as MP for Sedgefield with 47.2% of the vote and a majority of 4,513.[9] [10] The area of the constituency had been represented by Labour Party MPs since the 1935 general election. Wilson's immediate predecessor in representing the constituency, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, did so between 1983 and 2007.[11] [12]

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.[13] On 14 June 2022, Howell became a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[14]

Personal life

Howell owns a property portfolio consisting of nine houses in Darlington, five houses in Durham, and two flats in County Durham.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Brunskill . Ian . The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019 . 2020 . The Times . 9780008392581 . London.
  2. Web site: Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs. PoliticsHome. 1 December 2022. 16 December 2019.
  3. Web site: Paul Howell MP - Who is he? . 26 December 2023 . Politics.co.uk.
  4. Web site: About Paul Howell. 1 December 2022. Paul Howell.
  5. Web site: Election results for Hummersknott. 2 May 2019 . 1 December 2022. Darlington Borough Council.
  6. Web site: Mowden Ward and Red Hall and Lingfield Ward By-Elections. 1 December 2022. Darlington Borough Council.
  7. Web site: Tories step down as Lib Dems bid to take on Labour in Aycliffe North. 1 December 2022. 16 April 2021. Aycliffe Today.
  8. Web site: Seddon . Sean . June 9, 2017 . Houghton & Sunderland South constituency General Election results 2017 . nechronicle.
  9. Web site: Election Data 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt . 26 July 2013 . 17 October 2015 . Electoral Calculus.
  10. News: Election 2010 – Sedgefield . BBC News.
  11. News: 'As a boy from Ferryhill I'm so proud' says Conservative Paul Howell as he defeats Phil Wilson in Sedgefield. The Northern Echo. 13 December 2019. 1 December 2022. Conner-Hill. Rachel.
  12. Web site: The Rt Hon Tony Blair. 1 December 2022. gov.uk.
  13. Web site: Parliamentary career for Paul Howell. 1 December 2022. UK Parliament.
  14. PaulHowellMP. 1536619690239447043. 14 June 2022. 1 December 2022. I am delighted to announce that I have been promoted to the position of Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) at @DefraGovUK.
  15. News: Sedgefield's Paul Howell – The region's MP who owns most properties. The Northern Echo. 15 November 2021. Conner-Hill. Rachel.