Paul Waugh
Paul Waugh | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Early Education | |
| Assumed office 22 July 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Andy Burnham |
| Preceded by | Olivia Bailey |
| Member of Parliament for Rochdale | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | George Galloway |
| Majority | 1,440 (3.5%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1966 or 1967 (age 59–60)[1] Wardle, Lancashire, England |
| Party | Labour Co-op |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford University of Cardiff |
| Occupation |
|
Paul Waugh (born 1966 or 1967) is a British politician and journalist who has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education since 2026. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochdale since 2024. Running under the Labour Co-op banner, he unseated George Galloway, the sole MP from the Workers Party of Britain, who had held the seat since a by-election five months earlier, on 29 February.
Early life and education
[edit]Waugh was born in Wardle, Lancashire and raised on a council estate in Spotland, Rochdale.[2] Educated at Meanwood Primary School, Redbrook Middle School and Oulder Hill Community School, he later studied philosophy and physiology at the University of Oxford and journalism at the University of Cardiff.[3]
Journalism career
[edit]Waugh has been political editor of HuffPost UK, editor of PoliticsHome and deputy political editor of The Independent, as well as the London Evening Standard. He also worked for the i newspaper and presented the Week in Westminster for the BBC.[4][5][6]
Political career
[edit]Waugh had put himself forward to be the Labour candidate for the 2024 Rochdale by-election but lost the nomination to Azhar Ali, who in turn was suspended from the party.[7][8]
Waugh's wife works for the National Health Service, and he has said potential improvement of the health system was one of the major motivating factors in running for Parliament.[9]
In the 2024 general election, he was elected as the Labour Co-op Member of Parliament for Rochdale.[10][9] Waugh was critical of its previous MP George Galloway, labelling him as "Putin's parrot" and an extremist.[9] Following his election to Parliament, Waugh was elected to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.[11][12]
On 22 July 2026, Andy Burnham appointed Waugh as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Early Education, succeeding Olivia Bailey.[13] He is the first MP for Rochdale to hold a departmental ministerial post since the constituency was created in 1832.[14]
References
[edit]- ↑ Craig, Jon (27 January 2024). "Falling by the Waugh-side – former journalist fails to clinch chance to be MP". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ↑ "Rochdale Development Agency". Rochdale Development Agency. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ↑ "Real Rochdale Summer 2021: Paul Waugh: From Rochdale to Westminster". www.realrochdale.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ↑ "Journalist Paul Waugh to stand as Labour candidate in Rochdale". www.rochdaleonline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ↑ O'Neill, Laura (29 May 2024). "Rochdale: Political journalist Paul Waugh vies to become Labour MP". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ↑ "Paul Waugh to fight Rochdale seat for Labour". The Spectator. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ↑ Ahmed, Jabed (5 July 2024). "George Galloway loses Rochdale seat to Labour four months after by-election win". Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ↑ Robson, Steve (27 January 2024). "Paul Waugh loses out in bid to stand as new Labour MP for Rochdale". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- 1 2 3 Davenport, Hannah (30 May 2024). "Who is Paul Waugh, the Labour candidate chosen to take on George Galloway in Rochdale?". Left Foot Forward. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ↑ "Rochdale – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ↑ Newbould, Chris (29 October 2024). "Rochdale MP, former HuffPost/Indie journo and Radio 4 host Waugh among new faces on culture, media and sport committee". Prolific North. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ↑ "Full Culture, Media and Sport Committee revealed". Arts Professional. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ↑ Lucas, Ruth (23 July 2026). "Burnham makes Waugh an education minister as Bailey departs". Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- ↑ "Paul Waugh Appointed Education Minister". Paul Waugh. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
External links
[edit]
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- Profile on OpenSanctions, an open database of sanctions and persons of interest
