Paul Beresford

Sir Paul Beresford
Member of Parliament
for Mole Valley
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 May 1997
Preceded by Kenneth Baker
Majority 15,653 (28.8%)
Member of Parliament
for Croydon Central
In office
9 April 1992 – 1 May 1997
Preceded by John Moore
Succeeded by Geraint Davies
Personal details
Born 6 April 1946
Levin, Horowhenua, New Zealand
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Julie Haynes

Sir Alexander Paul Beresford (born 6 April 1946) is a British Conservative Party politician, practising dentist[1] and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mole Valley. He sits on four Parliamentary committees.[2]

Early life

Paul Beresford was born in 1946 in Levin, New Zealand, and was educated in Richmond Primary School, Waimea College in Richmond; and the University of Otago in Dunedin, and is a practising dentist.

He was elected as a Councillor to Wandsworth Borough Council in 1978 and was its Leader between 1983 and 1992, through much of the Thatcher Government, and pioneered the practice of hiring contractors to do jobs that council workers had previously done. In 1990 he was knighted for services to inner city rehabilitation.

Parliamentary career

Beresford was selected to fight the safe Conservative seat of Croydon Central following the retirement of former Cabinet minister John Moore. Beresford was elected at the 1992 General Election and made his maiden speech on 30 June 1992.

He entered the Major Government in 1994 as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment and remained until the Government was defeated in 1997. When the number of seats in Croydon was reduced from four to three before the 1997 General Election, he failed to be selected for the newly-drawn Croydon Central and instead fought Mole Valley in Surrey, where he was elected in 1997. Croydon Central fell to Labour.

Prior to the 2010 General Election Beresford was a member of the Communities & Local Government Select Committee.

Beresford was named by Conservative Home as one of a minority of loyal Conservative backbench MPs not to have voted against the government in any significant rebellions.[3]

Expenses

During the media coverage of the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal, it was revealed that Beresford, who is a practising dentist, designated his west London property (which includes his dental surgery) as his second home, allowing him to claim allowances of three-quarters of the running costs of the property from the taxpayer.[4][5]

Personal life

Beresford has a son from his previous marriage who lives in New Zealand. Beresford is currently married to Julie (née Haynes) and they have three sons and one daughter.

References

  1. ↑ Prince, Rosa; Aislinn Simpson (21 May 2009). "MPs' expenses: Sir Paul Beresford doubled as dentist and used waiting area as 'sitting room’". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  2. ↑ Sir Paul Beresford on his 20 years in Parliament Leatherhead Advertiser, 21 February 2012
  3. ↑ Barrett, Matthew. "The 24 Conservative MPs who are still on the backbenches and have never rebelled". Conservative Home. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  4. ↑ MPs' expenses: Sir Paul Beresford doubled as dentist and used waiting area as 'sitting room’ – Daily Telegraph, 21 May 2009
  5. ↑ Mole Valley MP 'pilloried' over surgery costs deal – Surrey Herald, 26 May 2009

External links

News items

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Moore		 Member of Parliament for Croydon Central
1992–1997 		Succeeded by
Geraint Davies
Preceded by
Kenneth Baker		 Member of Parliament for Mole Valley
1997–present 		Incumbent