Paul Scully

Scully was born in Rugby on 29 April 1968. His father's family was originally from Burma. He was privately educated at Bedford School. He later studied at the University of Reading."SCULLY, Paul Stuart", Who's Who 2016, A & C Black. He moved to London after graduating and ran a number of small businesses.{{cite web|url=http://www.scully.org.uk/about-paul/|title=About Paul|date=6 January 2013 |publisher=Personal website|access-date=8 July 2018}} Scully joined the Conservative Party after the 1997 general election, and had previously voted for the Referendum Party.{{ukhansard | house=HC | date=22 January 2018 | vol=635 | c=1WH }} (Hansard).

Scully unsuccessfully stood as a Conservative candidate in the Wallington South ward of the London Borough of Sutton Council elections in 2002, but was subsequently elected in the Carshalton Central ward in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Sutton-1964-2010.pdf |title= Sutton Council Election Results 1964–2010 |publisher= Plymouth University |access-date= 8 July 2018}} He was the Leader of the Opposition on Sutton Council for three of his four years as a councillor.[https://moderngov.sutton.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=469 "Sutton council website"] (London Borough of Sutton, 21 January 2018) Scully lost his seat to the Liberal Democrats at the following local election in 2010.{{cite web |url= http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Sutton-1964-2010.pdf |title= Sutton Council Election Results 1964–2010 |publisher=Plymouth University |access-date=8 July 2018}}

In addition to his work as a local councillor, Scully worked as a parliamentary aide for Conservative MPs Andrew Pelling, Shailesh Vara and Alok Sharma, and set up a public relations company called Nudge Factory Ltd in 2011.{{cite web |url= https://www.kingstonconservatives.org.uk/events/eu-debate |title=About Paul |publisher=Party website |access-date=8 July 2018}}

Scully was selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the marginal Sutton and Cheam seat at the 2015 general election. The constituency is part of the borough in which he had been a councillor. Scully defeated the Liberal Democrat incumbent, Paul Burstow, who had represented the seat since 1997, and was elected as its Member of Parliament (MP). Scully was elected with 41.5% of the vote and a majority of 3,921.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite web |title=Election Results – Sutton Council |url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/news/article/202/election_results |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515053759/http://www.sutton.gov.uk/news/article/202/election_results |archive-date=15 May 2015}}

In a parliamentary debate on 22 October 2015, Scully stated, "I am, I believe, the first Member of the British Parliament to be of Burmese heritage."{{ukhansard|house=HC|date=22 October 2015|vol=600|c=1263}} (Hansard). He is reportedly "very proud" of his Burmese heritage.[http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/british-mp-elect-proud-of-burma-heritage.html "British MP-Elect ‘Proud’ of Burma Heritage"] (The Irrawaddy, 13 May 2015). [https://web.archive.org/web/20151209232903/http://www.irrawaddy.com/burma/british-mp-elect-proud-of-burma-heritage.html Archived copy].

He visited Myanmar for the first time in February 2016.[http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/british-mp-elect-proud-of-burma-heritage.html "British MP traces family footsteps in first-ever Myanmar visit"] (Coconuts Yangon, 15 February 2016). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160222001632/http://yangon.coconuts.co/2016/02/15/british-mp-traces-family-footsteps-first-ever-myanmar-visit Archived copy]. He has been active in human rights issues in Burma, especially the Rohingya refugee situation and is the Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Burma. He has written about his experience of being one of the first British MPs to visit the Kutupalong refugee camp during the 2017 mass movement.[https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/the-refugees-trapped-in-no-mans-land-lx52qzsfs "The refugees trapped in no man’s land"] (The Times, 21 September 2017).

In May 2016, it was reported that Scully was one of a number of Conservative MPs being investigated by police in the United Kingdom general election, 2015 party spending investigation, for allegedly spending more than the legal limit on constituency election campaign expenses.{{cite news |date=23 June 2016 |title=Election Expenses Exposed |url=https://news.channel4.com/livepages/2016/election-expenses/ |access-date=8 July 2018 |work=Channel 4 News}} In May 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service said that, while there was evidence of inaccurate spending returns, it did not "meet the test" for further action.{{cite news |date=10 May 2017 |title=Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Scully will not be prosecuted over Conservative's undeclared election spending |url=http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news/15276484.Sutton_and_Cheam_MP_Paul_Scully_will_not_be_prosecuted_over_Conservative___s_undeclared_election_spending/ |access-date=8 July 2018 |newspaper=Sutton Guardian}}

Scully campaigned for a Leave vote in the 2016 EU referendum,[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35221167 "EU referendum: Six 2015 Conservative MPs back leaving EU"] (BBC News, 4 January 2016). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160104155009/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35221167 Archived copy].[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSGLR21n3gY "Paul Scully: I'll be voting to leave the undemocratic, bureaucratic EU"] (YouTube, 29 April 2016). and was a supporter of the campaign group Leave Means Leave.[http://www.leavemeansleave.eu/who-we-are/ Leave Means Leave: Who We Are]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20171024153425/http://www.leavemeansleave.eu/who-we-are/ Archived copy].

At the snap 2017 general election, Scully was re-elected with an increased vote share of 51.1% and a majority of 12,698.{{cite news |title=Sutton & Cheam parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000984 |work=BBC News}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20180225205506/http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf Research briefing]

In June 2017, comments made by Scully at an election hustings event and on a regional BBC politics programme relating to building a new hospital in Sutton were criticised by health campaigners as representing an acceptance of closing some existing local medical facilities, such as the St Helier Hospital. Scully said that he was still committed to retaining facilities at the St Helier Hospital, where he had previously volunteered.{{cite news |date=6 June 2017 |title=Video: Conservative candidate for Sutton and Cheam, Paul Scully's 'third hospital' plans stoke campaigners' fears of Epsom and St Helier closures |url=http://www.epsomguardian.co.uk/news/15331163.Video__Candidate___s____third_hospital____plans_stoke_fears_of_Epsom_and_St_Helier_closures/ |access-date=8 July 2018 |newspaper=Epsom Guardian}}

In September 2017, he was appointed as the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Brunei, Thailand and Burma, and was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Baroness Evans, the Leader of the House of Lords between November 2017 and January 2018.

File:UK Trade Envoy meets His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei.jpg Hassanal Bolkiah while on a trade visit to Brunei (November 2018)]]

On 15 December 2017, Scully was confirmed as the Conservative Party's new vice-chairman for London, following the sacking of Stephen Hammond two days earlier for his failure to vote with the Government on a key vote relating to the United Kingdom departing the European Union.[https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2017/12/scully-replaces-hammond-as-party-vice-chair-for-london.html "Scully replaces Hammond as Party Vice-Chair for London"] (ConservativeHome), 16 December 2017). He helped manage the Conservative Party's campaign in the 2018 London local elections, in which the party registered its lowest-ever number of seats in the capital, but made a number of gains on Sutton Council.{{cite web |url= https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/first-magazine/election-results |title= By-election results 2018 |publisher= Local Government Association |access-date=8 July 2018}}

At the 2019 general election, Scully was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 50% and a decreased majority 8,351.{{Cite web |last=Council |first=Sutton |title=Statement of Persons Nominated & Notice of Poll – Sutton & Cheam 2019 {{!}} Sutton Council |url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/downloads/file/4264/statement_of_persons_nominated_and_notice_of_poll_-_sutton_and_cheam_2019 |access-date=19 November 2019 |website=www.sutton.gov.uk |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Sutton & Cheam parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000984 |work=BBC News}}

In February 2020, Scully joined the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets, succeeding Kelly Tolhurst. He was also appointed to the position of Minister for London, succeeding Chris Philp.

In July 2021, in response to a question about vaccine passports, Scully described himself as a libertarian conservative.{{cite news |last=Sparrow |first=Andrew |title=UK Covid live news: minister stresses people pinged by NHS app can choose not to isolate |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/jul/20/uk-covid-live-latest-updates-ping-nhs-app-self-isolate-boris-johnson-dominic-cummings?page=with:block-60f686808f0814e7a316ce4b#block-60f686808f0814e7a316ce4b |work=The Guardian |date=20 July 2021 |access-date=20 July 2021}}

On 22 October 2021, Scully filibustered a bill which would outlaw the practice of sacking employees and hiring them back on worse terms and conditions, which resulted in the bill failing. Scully said that he did not disagree with the intent of the bill, but did not think it was the best means to achieve it. He said: "The unambiguous message is that bully-boy tactics of fire-and-rehire, for use as a negotiating tactic, is absolutely inappropriate."{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |title=Anger as ministers block 'fire and rehire' bill in Commons |url=https://www.theguardian.com/law/2021/oct/22/anger-as-ministers-block-fire-and-rehire-bill-in-commons |work=The Guardian |date=22 October 2021 |access-date=24 October 2021}}

On 7 July 2022, he was appointed a Minister at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as part of the caretaker government by outgoing Prime Minister Johnson, succeeding Kemi Badenoch.{{Cite web |title=Ministerial appointments: July 2022 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-july-2022 |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=GOV.UK|date=7 July 2022 }} Scully remained in this role and as Minister for London in the Truss ministry.{{Cite web |title=Ministerial Appointments: September 2022 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-september-2022 |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=GOV.UK}} In October 2022, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Scully was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy. He also remained in his post as Minister for London.{{Cite web |last=Weakley |first=Kirsty |date=28 October 2022 |title=Paul Scully leaves DLUHC |url=https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/governance-and-structure/paul-scully-leaves-dluhc-28-10-2022/ |access-date=7 March 2023 |website=Local Government Chronicle (LGC)}} He was removed from both ministerial roles in the November 2023 British cabinet reshuffle.{{Cite news |last=Joshi |first=Jitendra |date=16 November 2023 |title=Former Tory Party chairman Greg Hands becomes minister for London after Paul Scully ousted |work=Evening Standard |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/paul-scully-london-mp-tory-mayoral-candidate-susan-hall-rishi-sunak-reshuffle-b1120160.html |access-date=20 November 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Simister |first=George |date=14 November 2023 |title=Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Paul Scully sacked |work=UK Tech News |url=https://www.uktech.news/news/government-and-policy/paul-scully-tech-minister-sacked-20231114 |access-date=20 November 2023}}

On 11 June 2023, Scully applied for, but failed to make the shortlist for the 2024 London mayoral election.{{Cite web |last=Lydall |first=Ross |date=11 June 2023 |title=Shock as 'frontrunner' MP fails to make Tory mayoral candidate shortlist |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/frontrunner-mp-paul-scully-tory-mayoral-candidate-shortlist-sadiq-khan-b1087024.html |access-date=11 June 2023 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}

In February 2024, Scully was accused of Islamophobia after he made unsubstantiated claims about the existence of "no-go areas" in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the Sparkhill district of Birmingham, both of which have large Muslim populations. He subsequently [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68407084 apologised] for the comments explaining the comments were blunt and detracted from the prejudice he was speaking out on.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/feb/26/tory-mp-paul-scully-claims-there-are-no-go-areas-in-birmingham-and-london

|title=Tory MP Paul Scully claims there are 'no-go' areas in Birmingham and London|author=Badshah, Nadeem|website=The Guardian|date=26 February 2024|access-date=3 March 2024}}

In March 2024, Scully announced that he would not seek re-election as MP for Sutton and Cheam at the next general election.{{Cite web |last=Burford |first=Rachael |date=4 March 2024 |title=Ex London minister Paul Scully to quit as Tory MP before general election |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-paul-scully-quit-mp-conservatives-b1142926.html |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}

In April 2025, Scully joined the advisory board of DeepGreenX Group Inc., a technology company specialising in AI-driven digital finance and green infrastructure. His appointment was reviewed and approved by the UK government's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), which imposed conditions to mitigate potential conflicts of interest, including restrictions on lobbying and the use of privileged information acquired during his ministerial tenure.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scully-paul-parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state-minister-for-technology-and-the-digital-economy-for-the-department-for-science-innovation-and/advice-letter-paul-scully-advisory-board-member-deepgreenx-group |title=Advice letter: Paul Scully – Advisory Board Member, DeepGreenX Group |website=GOV.UK |publisher=UK Government |access-date=1 June 2025}} In May 2025, DeepGreenX filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of its plans to list American Depository Shares (ADSs) on the New York Stock Exchange, highlighting Scully's role as an advisory board member in the company’s strategic disclosures.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2046889/000121390025047846/ea0223732-04.htm#T9928 |title=DeepGreenX Registration Statement |website=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |access-date=1 June 2025}}

Scully is divorced and has two grown-up children.{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/161121/scully_paul.htm|title=Register of Members Interests 2016–17|publisher=Parliament|access-date=8 July 2018}}

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• {{Official website|http://www.scully.org.uk/}}
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Category:1968 births

Category:Alumni of the University of Reading

Category:British people of Burmese descent

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:English people of Burmese descent

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Bedford School

Category:UK MPs 2015–2017

Category:UK MPs 2017–2019

Category:UK MPs 2019–2024

Category:British Eurosceptics

Category:Conservative Party (UK) councillors

Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Sutton