Paul Christopher Blomfield (born 25 August 1953) is a British politician who has served as the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for
Sheffield Central
Sheffield Central is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Paul Blomfield, a member of the Labour Party.
Boundaries
;First creation
1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Sheffield wards of S ...
since
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
. A member of the
Labour Party, he was a
Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union from 2016 to 2020 and Shadow Minister for Brexit and European Union Negotiations from 2020 to 2021.
Twice President of the Students' Union at
St John's College, York
, mottoeng = They may have life and have it more abundantly
, established =
, type = Public
, administrative_staff = 618
, chancellor = Reeta Chakrabarti
, vice_chancellor = Professor Karen Bryan
, student ...
, Blomfield was also a member of the National Executive Committees of both the
National Union of Students and the
Anti-Apartheid Movement
The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM), was a British organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing the South African apartheid system and supporting South Africa's non-White population who were persecuted by the policie ...
, the latter from 1979 to 1994. From 1997 to 2008, he was chairman of
Sheffield City Trust
Sheffield City Trust is a registered charity in the United Kingdom that owns and/or manages twelve entertainment and sports venues in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
Charitable objectives
The Trust was established in 1988 with three charit ...
; he was also the general manager of the
University of Sheffield Students' Union.
Early life
Paul Christopher Blomfield was born in
Chatham, Kent
Chatham ( ) is a town located within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham.
The town developed around Chatham ...
. He was educated at the
Abbeydale Boys' Grammar School in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
and
Tadcaster Grammar School
Tadcaster Grammar School founded in 1557, is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, educating children aged 11–18 years old, and has an on-site sixth form.
The school is located in t ...
. He received a certificate in education from
York St John University
, mottoeng = They may have life and have it more abundantly
, established =
, type = Public
, administrative_staff = 618
, chancellor = Reeta Chakrabarti
, vice_chancellor = Professor Karen Bryan
, student ...
.
Anti-Apartheid Movement
He became involved in the
Anti-Apartheid Movement
The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM), was a British organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing the South African apartheid system and supporting South Africa's non-White population who were persecuted by the policie ...
while still at school and continued to organise Anti-Apartheid activity as a student politician. In 1976 he travelled to South Africa to meet local campaigners and learn about the apartheid system first hand. During this visit he was subject to surveillance by the South African Police and eventually decided to leave the country due to the risk this posed to the local anti-apartheid campaigners. He then went on to serve on the National Executive Committee of the Anti-Apartheid Movement from 1979 to 1994 when free elections were held in South Africa.
University of Sheffield Union of Students
As general manager of the
University of Sheffield Union of Students
Sheffield Students' Union, officially known as the University of Sheffield Students' Union, is the representative body of students at the University of Sheffield. It is run by a team of thirteen elected officers (7 full-time officers and 6 par ...
, he was responsible for establishing and maintaining its position as one of the leading Students' Unions in the UK; it won a number of awards over recent years, including "Best Students' Union in the UK". He stepped down as general manager just before contesting the
2010 general election.
Sheffield City Trust
Blomfield was a trustee of
Sheffield City Trust
Sheffield City Trust is a registered charity in the United Kingdom that owns and/or manages twelve entertainment and sports venues in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
Charitable objectives
The Trust was established in 1988 with three charit ...
from 1994 to 1997, and its chairman from 1997 to 2008. In this role he was responsible for the development of
Sheffield International Venues
SIV (formerly known as Sheffield International Venues) is a facilities management company based in Sheffield, England that operates a number of sporting and entertainment facilities in that city. It is a fully owned subsidiary of the not-for-p ...
, Sheffield City Hall and the Sheffield Festival. During his tenure, he oversaw the organisation's expansion into venues such as Sheffield City Hall and the
English Institute of Sport
The English Institute of Sport (EIS), established in May 2002, is an organisation which provides sport science and medical support services to elite athletes through a nationwide network of expertise and facilities, working with Olympic and Pa ...
.
Political career
Blomfield was the Chair of Sheffield District Labour Party from 1993 to 2009. He resigned the position to fight the
Sheffield Central
Sheffield Central is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Paul Blomfield, a member of the Labour Party.
Boundaries
;First creation
1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Sheffield wards of S ...
at the
2010 general election, after long-serving MP
Richard Caborn
Richard George Caborn (born 6 October 1943) is a British politician who served as Minister of Sport from 2001 to 2007 and later as the prime minister's ambassador for England's 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. He previously served as a junior minist ...
announced he would be standing down.
Parliamentary career
At the
2010 general election, Paul Blomfield was elected as the MP for Sheffield Central. He retained his seat at the 2015 general election with a majority of 17,309 (his 2010 majority having been only 165). Blomfield was re-elected as the MP for Sheffield Central in the
2019 general election with a majority of 27,273 He announced in February 2022 that he would not stand at the
next general election.
Frontbench positions
Blomfield was appointed
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...
(PPS) to the
Shadow
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, o ...
Leader of the House of Commons
The leader of the House of Commons is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom whose main role is organising government business in the House of Commons. The leader is generally a member or attendee of the cabinet of the ...
,
Hilary Benn
Hilary James Wedgwood Benn (born 26 November 1953) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds Central since a by-election in 1999. He served in the Cabinet from 2003 to 2010, under both Tony Bla ...
, on 9 October 2010. He retained the role when Benn changed positions to become
Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary in January 2011 and
Shadow Foreign Secretary
In UK politics, the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is a position within the opposition's shadow cabinet that deals mainly with issues surrounding the Foreign Office. If elected, the person serving as ...
in June 2015. Blomfield resigned as a PPS shortly after Benn was sacked from the shadow cabinet in June 2016.
He was appointed Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union in October 2016. Following
Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (; born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and barrister who has served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras ...
's election as
Labour Leader
The ''Labour Leader'' was a British socialist newspaper published for almost one hundred years. It was later renamed ''New Leader'' and ''Socialist Leader'', before finally taking the name ''Labour Leader'' again.
19th century
The origins of the ...
in April 2020, he retained his previous portfolio as Shadow Minister for Brexit and European Union Negotiations. The new position was in the shadow
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for supporting the prime minister and Cabinet. It is composed of various units that support Cabinet committees and which co-ordinate the delivery of government objecti ...
and
International Trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy)
In most countries, such trade represents a significant ...
teams, and he departed the frontbench when the Brexit transition period ended in December 2020.
Committee and group memberships
Blomfield was a member of the
Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee between 2010 and 2016. He was also elected to sit on the
Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee, and later became Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Higher Education.
He is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Students, which he founded, Co-Chair of the APPG for International Students, which he founded with Lord Karan Bilimoria, and Secretary of the APPG for Universities. He served on the Higher Education and Research Bill Committee and was voted ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''’s ‘most inspiring leader in higher education’ in 2015.
He is Secretary of the APPG on Debt and Personal Finance. He introduced a High Cost Credit Bill into the House of Commons in July 2013 and co-ordinated a cross-party campaign, around a Charter to Stop the Payday Loan Rip-Off. Citizens Advice gave their Parliamentarian of the Year 2014 award jointly to Paul Blomfield and Conservative MP
Robin Walker
Robin may refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including:
**European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'')
**Bush-robin
** Forest r ...
for their work on the issue.
As Chair of the APPG on Migration, he was Vice Chair of a cross-party Parliamentary inquiry into immigration detention led by the Liberal Democrat MP
Sarah Teather
Sarah Louise Teather (born 1 June 1974) is the Director of Jesuit Refugee Service UK and a former British Member of Parliament and Minister. As a Liberal Democrat politician, she founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo Bay and ...
. Their recommendations, including a call for a 28-day time limit on immigration detention, were approved by the House of Commons, but not accepted by the Government.
Paul Blomfield is a Vice-Chair of the
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life is a cross-party group of members of the British Parliament and Peers that supports better end-of-life options, including assisted dying. They believe that, subject to legal safeguar ...
.
Political positions
Blomfield has been a long-standing opponent of
tuition fees
Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spen ...
but has been a supporter of a graduate tax. He is a supporter of proportional representation, and is the Chair of the
Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform
The Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform (LCER) is an organisation formed of members and supporters of the British Labour Party, who are interested in issues of democratic renewal and electoral reform.
LCER campaigns on a range of constitution ...
. Blomfield became the Chair of Labour for Democracy, or Labour4Democracy, on 4 December 2012. The internal party group was launched to promote plurality in the Labour Party, and increase co-operation with other political parties in building a "progressive consensus".
Labour Leadership Elections
Blomfield supported
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel "Ed" Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero since 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster North since 2005. Miliband ...
in the
2010 Labour Party (UK) leadership election.
He supported
Owen Smith
Owen Smith (born 2 May 1970) is a former Labour Party politician and subsequently a British lobbyist, who has been the UK government relations director for pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb since 2020. Smith was Member of Parliamen ...
in the failed attempt to replace
Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. On the political left of the Labour Party, Corbyn describes himself as a socialist ...
in the
2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election
The 2016 Labour Party leadership election was called when a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party arose following criticism of his approach to the Remain campaign in the referendum on membership of the European Union and q ...
.
He nominated Keir Starmer in the
Labour leadership election.
Assisted dying
His father, Harry, killed himself in 2014 at the age of 87 after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Since then he has been an outspoken advocate for a change in the law. He says the current rules on
assisted dying robbed them of time together. Under the present law family and friends who help people to kill themselves - or even are aware of their plans - can be prosecuted.
Personal life
Blomfield is married to
Linda McAvan
Linda McAvan (born 2 December 1962) is a British Labour Party politician, who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber from 1998, when she was first elected in a by-election following the resignation of Norma ...
, a former Labour
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
for
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The population in 2011 was 5,284,000 with its largest settlements being Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull, and York.
It is ...
.
Brain tumour
Blomfield underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumour, a
meningioma
Meningioma, also known as meningeal tumor, is typically a slow-growing tumor that forms from the meninges, the membranous layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms depend on the location and occur as a result of the tumor pressing o ...
, in August 2011, going on to make a full recovery. This tumour could have been developing for 20 years. It was diagnosed when it began pressing against his optic nerve and interfering with his sight. He was diagnosed at the
Royal Hallamshire Hospital
The Royal Hallamshire Hospital is a general and teaching hospital located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is in the city's West End, facing Glossop Road and close to the main campus of University of Sheffield and the Collegiate Cresc ...
within a week of noticing symptoms. The operation, by Mr Thomas Carroll lasted 13 hours and he was back at work after 4 weeks. He and Conservative MP
Guy Opperman
Guy Thomas Opperman (born 18 May 1965) is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Employment since October 2022. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion at the Department for Work ...
, who also had a brain tumour in 2011, walked the first section of the Pennine Way in 2012 to raise money for
Headway UK.
References
External links
Paul Blomfield MP*
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Choice at the End of Life
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blomfield, Paul
1953 births
Living people
People from Maidstone
English human rights activists
Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
UK MPs 2010–2015
UK MPs 2015–2017
UK MPs 2017–2019
People educated at Abbeydale Grange School
UK MPs 2019–present
Anti-apartheid activists
Alumni of York St John University