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Paul Maynard

Working hard for Blackpool North & Cleveleys
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About Paul Maynard

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Paul Maynard
Paul Maynard
Paul Maynard
Paul Maynard
Paul Maynard
Paul Maynard

Ever since Mrs Thatcher visited the special school I attended in Winsford, Cheshire, at the age of 4, politics has always held a certain fascination for me.

I only went to the special school for some intensive physio, before transferring to the local village primary two years later. By the time I reached 21, I had got myself a first class degree from Oxford and started a career in management consultancy. Politics then seduced me yet again, and I worked for Dr Liam Fox as speechwriter and adviser.

People are the ones who really matter

So in a sense, I am precisely what lots of people now object to – someone who has been stuck in a Westminster bubble. I don’t see it that way. One reason I am proud to have represented Blackpool North & Cleveleys is because I have a passionate belief that what really matters in politics is not the shenanigans in the corridors of power, but rather the connection you make with the people you represent.

The pleasure in in serving as an MP is knowing that your effort and commitment is valued by your constituents, and nothing cheers me more than when a Labour voter says that they’re sorry they can’t vote for me, as they think I’ve worked really hard as a constituency MP.

Take people as you find them

Yes, I have cerebral palsy. It’s very mild, and doesn’t really affect how I live. It probably affects the way some people see me, and there will always be people who write you off because of it – but I’ve never let them stop me. Some of the reactions I have had, and which have appeared in the media, have surprised me. Having had it all my life, I don’t know any different anyway, and I always believe we should take people as we find them.

I reckon that these life experiences make an individual a better Member of Parliament. I have had a perspective no-one else has. I was surprised, for example, at the impact my maiden speech had – even Private Eye thought it the best maiden speech of the 2010 intake, the only example of an MP ever being glad to have appeared within its covers!

The reality of life

It was a real excitement for me to be elected the MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys in 2010. Everybody has fond memories of Blackpool, it sometimes seems, but the reality of two seaside resorts with below-average incomes, reshaping their purpose in a changing economic landscape, is that I see daily reality of those for whom life doesn’t always work out as they wish it had, often through no fault of their own, and so am further inspired to keep working to change that.

My Mum is from Liverpool, and she can remember going up to Blackpool regularly. I remember the thrill as a little boy as we went up the M6 heading for the illuminations too. I dislike all this ‘flat cap and whippet’ caricature of being a ‘northerner’. But I am proud of my northern roots. I think we’re a lot more down to earth up here in the north – and that’s another quality that politicians need to learn to acquire in spades.

Campaigns
Paul's proposal for a light rail loop connecting the Fylde coast together

Paul Maynard's Light Rail Loop

I've put forward a bold proposal to expand the Fylde Coast's light rail network.  Using mothballed routes and convertible under-used rail lines, I want to see tram services deliver new connections for Thornton and Fleetwood and to vastly improve frequencies for South Fylde Passengers.

Solar Events | Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the National Grid on prepare

Solar Events | Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Civil Contingencies Secr

Beverage Containers: Recycling | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bot

Aviation: Coronavirus | Foreign and Commonwealth Office | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with which international counterparts he has held discussions on the

Litter: Fixed Penalties | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalty notices for littering have been issued by l

Business: Payment Methods | Treasury | Written Answers

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Government has made of the number of businesses refusing cash payments during t

Help to Buy Scheme: Coronavirus | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will extend the closure date for Help to Buy equity lo

Visas: Philippines | Home Office | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when UK visa processing in the Philippines will resume; and whether priority will

Building Regulations: Parking | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what provisions he plans to include in multi-storey car park

Public Sector Debt: Gifts and Endowments | Treasury | Written Answers

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date the UK Debt Management Office created an online form to assist with cash gifts to th

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Paul Maynard Member of Parliament for Blackpool North and Cleveleys

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