Paul Maynard
| Paul Maynard MP |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of Parliament for Blackpool North and Cleveleys |
|
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Constituency Created |
| Majority | 3,340 (8.5%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Paul Christopher Maynard 16 December 1975 [1] Crewe, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom[2] |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | University College, Oxford |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | paulmaynard |
Paul Christopher Maynard[3] (born 16 December 1975) is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackpool North and Cleveleys.
Early life
Born in Crewe, Cheshire, Maynard was left with cerebral palsy when he was strangled by the umbilical cord at birth, and he was also left with a speech defect.[4] He attended a special school between the ages of three and five before transferring to a local primary school. He attended St. Ambrose College, in Altrincham, and obtained a First Class History degree at University College, Oxford.[4]
Maynard was a lay reader at his local church and was also a governor at his local Catholic primary school.[5]
Political career
Maynard worked as an adviser to Liam Fox and as a speechwriter for William Hague, and stood as the Conservative Party candidate for Twickenham in the 2005 general election, finishing second with 32.4% of the vote.[6]
Maynard was selected for Blackpool North and Cleveleys despite having no connection to the Fylde nor Blackpool in December 2006, having been on the "A-List".[7] Maynard was elected to the House of Commons in the 2010 general election with a majority of 2,150.[8] He is the second person who has cerebral palsy to become a British MP after Terry Dicks.[9]
Taunting controversy
During February 2011, Maynard told The Times about abuse he suffered from Labour Party MPs, who mocked his disability. He said "some were pulling faces at me, really exaggerated gesticulations and faces. Only they know for certain whether they were taking the mick out of my disability. But it certainly felt like it. That is why politics is held in such low esteem." The Mail on Sunday reported a senior Labour MP as saying "What they did was disgusting. It was obvious that Paul was upset but they sensed a weakness and went for the kill like a pack of hyenas." When Maynard refused to give way in a Parliamentary debate to Stella Creasy, male Labour MPs started mocking Mr Maynard openly by pulling faces and imitating his speech and mannerisms.[4]
Subsequently, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow issued a written statement warning MPs that such abuse was unacceptable. However, it was revealed Bercow had known about the incident for more than three months and did not speak to Maynard about it.[10]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Profile, ukwhoswho.com; accessed 12 May 2015.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 59418. p. 8743. 13 May 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Paul Maynard MP Official constituency website
- Paul Maynard MP Conservative Party profile
- Blackpool Conservatives
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
- Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Blackpool North and Cleveleys 2010–present |
Incumbent |
