About Paul Harrod

Paul Harrod is the Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol North West and has a strong record of standing up for local people. In particular, he is fighting to make our tax system fairer, by cutting the average income tax bill by £700 a year for those on low and middle incomes.

Paul went to school in Bristol and has lived locally for most of his life. His father was a lecturer at Wesley College in Henbury and his mother worked as a nurse at Southmead hospital.

He founded the charity Aspire which creates full-time employment for homeless people. During his time as chief executive, Aspire expanded to ten cities across the UK and it has helped over 500 homeless people off the streets and into work. Aspire still operates in Bristol today.

Paul now leads the External Relations team at the University of Bristol, a senior role working to develop partnerships and collaborations between the University and the business and voluntary sectors. He was also the Chair of the 1500 member Bristol Enterprise Network, (BEN) from 2005-2009.

In addition to this Paul was the longest serving member of the National Small Business Council, an independent body that provided a voice for small and medium enterprises within Whitehall. Paul chaired its Enterprise and Finance working groups.

Paul is an active charity trustee and church member. He is married with three children.

Why Paul wants to be our MP

Paul Harrod revisits the homeless charity, Aspire, that he helped set up 10 years before.

Paul says "Working with local homeless people, and helping them off the streets and into work made me realise that one person can make a real difference.

"I still believe that Members of Parliament are in a unique position to be able to bring about change to the everyday lives of local people. The job is not about making grand speeches it is about rolling up your sleeves and helping your constituents with their housing, tackling anti-social behaviour, or sorting out school provision.

"Yet MPs can also play a role in shaping the national debate and speaking out on issues of poverty, injustice and inequality, here in Bristol, across the UK and throughout the world.

"I celebrated when the Conservatives lost in 1997, but I joined the Liberal Democrats when both Gordon Brown and David Cameron voted for an illegal war in Iraq. Charles Kennedy and Ming Campbell were right on the biggest issue of the last Parliament, and Nick Clegg and Vince Cable have been right on the biggest issue of this parliament - the economy.

"Labour have let us all down, and their biggest failure of all is that after 12 years in power we have a more unequal and divided country than when they took over. That is unforgivable, and that is what I want to change most of all."