Paul Bristow

Paul Bristow had mixed success in 2019: after coming third in the Peterborough by-election in June, he won the seat in the December general election with a majority of 2,580. Raised in the Peterborough, Bristow he studied Politics at university and worked as a public affairs consultant. He established the healthcare PR agency, PB consulting in 2010. Bristow’s wife, Sara Petala now runs PB, but there has been some controversy over Bristow’s failure to consistently declare this interest when asking questions to ministers on health issues. In his maiden speech in January 2020, Bristow said, “It seems right to make my maiden speech in the debate on health and social care. Those services—both our care and NHS services—have been part of my life and part of my career, and they are now part of how I intend to serve the people of Peterborough as their Member of Parliament”. In a debate in October 2020, Bristow was outspoken in his opposition to a national lockdown, describing the process as a way to “restrict freedoms, take jobs and make businesses go bankrupt” Bristow currently sits on the health and social care committee.