Paul Alexander Cyril Goodman

For other people with similar names, see Paul Goodman (disambiguation)

Paul Goodman was born in London and raised in East Sheen, and was educated at the Cranleigh School, Surrey before attending the University of York where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature in 1981.

In 1977 he worked for a year as a researcher to the Conservative MP at Petersfield Michael Mates. In 1983 he was the chairman for the Federation of Conservative Students, and was appointed as a director of public affairs at Extel Consultancy in 1984, before becoming a researcher for two years to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and MP for Bridgwater Tom King in 1985. He was a briefly a member of the policy unit at the City of Westminster Council in 1988 before training as a novice monk at Quarr Abbey in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, no mean feat for the son of Jewish parents. He left the abbey in 1990 to take up the position of news editor with the Catholic Herald, before becoming a lead writer with The Daily Telegraph in 1991, moving to be a reporter with The Sunday Telegraph in 1992, before returning to The Daily Telegraph as a comment editor in 1995, where he remained until his election to Westminster. Since he election he has remained at the paper as a leader writer.

He was elected to the House of Commons for Wycombe in Buckinghamshire at the 2001 General Election following the retirement of Ray Whitney. Goodman held Wycombe with a majority of 3,168 and remains the MP there. He made his maiden speech on June 27, 2001, in which he recalled the former prime minister Benjamin Disraeli who had once contested his seat.[1]

In parliament he served on the work and pensions select committee 2001-5. He also served for a year as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chairman of the Conservative Party David Davis from 2001, and was promoted to the frontbench by Michael Howard in 2003 as a spokesman on work and pensions. He moved position under David Cameron's leadership in 2005, since when he has been a spokesman on the treasury matters.