Paul Beresford


Sir Alexander Paul Beresford is a British-New Zealander dentist and politician who has served as the British Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Mole Valley in Surrey since 1997 general election. He was first elected as the MP for Croydon Central in the 1992 general election. He sits on three Parliamentary committees.

Early life

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. Beresford holds dual British and New Zealand citizenship.

Political career

Beresford 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. He was knighted in the 1990 New Year Honours for political and public service.

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 the safe Conservative Mole Valley seat in Surrey, where Kenneth Baker was retiring, and he was elected at the 1997 election. 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.
Beresford, who is an avowed Eurosceptic, campaigned on behalf of the Remain campaign during the 2016 referendum on EU membership because he believed it was the better option for future generations.

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 as his second home, allowing him to claim allowances of three-quarters of the running costs of the property from the taxpayer.

Personal life

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

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