Paul
was elected MP for North Cornwall in April
1992 with a swing from the Conservatives of
6.5%.
He became Liberal
Democrat Spokesman on Agriculture and Rural
Affairs. In the House of Commons he led
debates on a huge range of topics, from the
Coastguard service to hill farming, from water
charges to rail privatisation, not to mention
animal welfare and Parliamentary reform.
He was especially active during the BSE/Beef
crisis and initiated debates and challenged
Ministers on their reaction to the crisis. He
published "Country Lives, Country
Landscapes" in 1996 and gained the
Country Life Parliamentarian of the Year
award. In a recent poll of Farmer's
Weekly readers he came high in a league table
of the most effective campaigners for
farming....above the Minister of Agriculture!
There were no Conservatives featured on the
list.
At the 1997 General Election, Paul was
returned with the largest Liberal Democrat
vote and the largest Liberal Democrat
majority. Promoted to Chief Whip and Shadow
Leader of the House, he managed the 47-strong
Liberal Democrat parliamentary team for the
duration of the last parliament.
After the 2001 General Election, Charles
Kennedy reappointed Paul Shadow Leader of the
House to work opposite the Rt Hon. Robin Cook
MP, pushing forward Liberal Democrat plans for
the modernisation and reform of Parliament as
well as overseeing the current business of the
House of Commons. Paul has served as a member
of the Select Committee on Modernisation of
the House of Commons since 1997.
He chairs the All Party Organophosphate
Group and is a Vice-President of ACRE, the
Youth Hostels Association, the British Trust
for Conservation Volunteers and the British
Resorts Association
As an MP for a large rural constituency
and former member of the Liberal Democrat's
Rural Affairs team and spokesman on food
issues, he maintains a strong interest in
farming and other countryside issues.
