He became involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement 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.[3]
University of Sheffield Union of Students
As general manager of the University of Sheffield Union of Students, 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".[4] He stepped down as general manager just before contesting the 2010 general election.
Sheffield City Trust
Blomfield was a trustee of Sheffield City Trust from 1994 to 1997, and its chairman from 1997 to 2008. In this role he was responsible for the development of Sheffield International Venues, 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.[5]
Political career
Blomfield was the Chair of Sheffield District Labour Party from 1993 to 2009. He resigned the position to fight the Sheffield Central at the 2010 general election, after long-serving MP Richard Caborn announced he would be standing down.
Parliamentary career
At the 2010 general election, Paul Blomfield was elected as the MP for Sheffield Central.[6] He retained his seat at the 2015 general election with a majority of 17,309 (his 2010 majority having been only 165).[7] Blomfield was re-elected as the MP for Sheffield Central in the 2019 general election with a majority of 27,273[8] He announced in February 2022 that he would not stand at the 2024 general election.[9]
He was appointed Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union in October 2016. Following Keir Starmer's election as Labour Leader in April 2020, he retained his previous portfolio as Shadow Minister for Brexit and European Union Negotiations.[10] The new position was in the shadow Cabinet Office and International Trade teams, and he departed the frontbench when the Brexit transition period ended in December 2020.[11]
Committee and group memberships
Blomfield was elected to sit on the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee between 2010 and 2016, and later became Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Higher Education.[12] He is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Students, which he founded, Co-Chair of the APPG for International Students, which he founded with Lord Bilimoria, and Secretary of the APPG for Universities. He served on the Higher Education and Research Bill Committee and was voted The Guardian’s ‘most inspiring leader in higher education’ in 2015.[citation needed]
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 for their work on the issue.[citation needed]
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. 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.[citation needed]
Blomfield has been a long-standing opponent of tuition fees but has been a supporter of a graduate tax.[15][16] He is a supporter of proportional representation, and is the Chair of the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform. 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".[17][18][19][20][21]
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.[24]
Blomfield underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumour, a meningioma, 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 within a week of noticing symptoms. The operation, by Mr Thomas Carroll lasted 13 hours and he was back at work after 4 weeks.[25] He and Conservative MP Guy Opperman, who also had a brain tumour in 2011, walked the first section of the Pennine Way in 2012 to raise money for Headway UK.[26]
