Paul Scriven

Paul James Scriven, Baron Scriven (born 7 February 1966) is a Liberal Democrat politician and former Leader of Sheffield City Council (2008–11), who was once described as Nick Clegg's "closest ally in local government".^[1]

Early life

Scriven was raised on a council estate in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.^[2] He was educated at Rawthorpe High School, Huddersfield, but after working for two years for a road construction firm, he returned to education at 18 to study his "O" and "A" levels at Huddersfield Technical College. He attended Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Metropolitan University) to read for a BA. From 1989 to 1990 he was president of its Students Union.

He started his working life 'fast tracked' as a graduate trainee in the National Health Service. He worked at a number of hospitals in the UK and later for a number of private companies. He now is managing partner for a consultancy Scriven Consulting, working mainly with private and public bodies in the UK and South East Asia.

Political career

Scriven was elected to Sheffield City Council in May 2000 for the Broomhill ward and became Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group in 2002.^[3] He then became Leader of the Council in 2008, following the local elections which saw the Liberal Democrats take control of Sheffield City Council.^[4]

At the 2010 general election, he was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Sheffield Central constituency losing to Labour's Paul Blomfield by 165 votes.^[5]

Following the 2010 election, Scriven remained as Leader of the Council and, in November of that year, he received a Leader Award from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, awarded annually to "recognise... the work of outstanding local and regional liberal and democrat politicians".^[6]

In April 2011, The Guardian newspaper described Scriven as the "closest ally in local government" to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP. However, in the article he criticised the coalition government's decision to "front-load" local government spending cuts and claimed it might have been better to even out the reductions across four years.^[7]

In the May 2011 local elections, Labour regained control of the Council and Scriven resigned as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group.^[8] A year later in the 2012 elections, Scriven lost his Broomhill seat.^[9]

On 8 August 2014 it was announced that Scriven had been appointed as a Liberal Democrat life peer.^[10] He was made the Baron Scriven of Hunters Bar in the City of Sheffield on 23 September 2014.^[11]

During the 2015 general election campaign Lord Scriven made media headlines when he claimed on Twitter that Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron had privately told Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that he did not believe the Conservatives would win a majority in a conversation before the election campaign.^[12]

References

1. "Nick Clegg ally admits scale of spending cuts may turn Sheffield council red". The Guardian. 18 April 2011.
2. "Lib Dems chief pledges more power to the people". Sheffield Telegraph. 29 April 2008.
3. "Scriven quits: Former council chief gives up Sheffield Lib Dems leadership after poll disaster". Sheffield Star. 10 May 2011.
4. "ELECTIONS 'O8: Lib-Dems ready for new era". Sheffield Star. 3 May 2008.
5. "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Sheffield Central". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
6. "Lib Dem leader of Sheffield Council wins top European honour". Lib Dem Voice. 16 November 2010.
7. "Nick Clegg ally admits scale of spending cuts may turn Sheffield council red". The Guardian. 18 April 2011.
8. "Scriven quits: Former council chief gives up Sheffield Lib Dems leadership after poll disaster". Sheffield Star. 10 May 2011.
9. https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/elections/election-results/2012/broomhill.html
10. "Karren Brady and Sir Stuart Rose among new life peers". BBC News (BBC). 8 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
11. The London Gazette: no. 60998. p. 18642. 25 September 2014.
12. "Lord Scriven defends 'no majority' tweet". BBC News (BBC). 4 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.