Background
He grew up in Sheffield on a council estate.
He grew up in Sheffield on a council estate.
Holmes graduated in History from the University of York in 1978 and before being elected an Member of Parliament, was a history teacher for 22 years.
He went to Prince Edward Primary School, Manor Top, then Firth Park Secondary School (now Firth Park Community Arts College), a comprehensive from 1969 (when he was 12). He gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Sheffield. He taught from 1979-1984 at Chesterfield School (now Brookfield Community School), then Buxton College from 1984-1990, and from 1990-2001 he was Head of Sixth Form at Buxton Community School (the successor to Buxton College).
Holmes joined the Social Democratic Party in 1983.
From 1987-1995 he was a councillor for Brimington South Ward, then from 1999-2003 for Walton ward on Chesterfield Borough Council. Commentators attributed the result to dissatisfaction with some elements of Kennedy"s leadership and a belief amongst MPs that the role of party chairman should be more that of a backbenchers" "shop steward" and less under the influence of the leadership.
Holmes, not yet an Member of Parliament, supported Simon Hughes in the leadership election following Paddy Ashdown"s retirement in 1999. At the 2005 party conference, he voted against plans by the leadership to support capping the European Union budget at 1% of Gross Domestic Product and to privatise the post office (and was on the winning side in both votes).
However, he publicly declared himself to be in full support of Kennedy"s leadership following rumours that Hughes was planning a leadership challenge.
In the leadership election caused by the resignation of Charles Kennedy, Paul Holmes took on the role of chair to Simon Hughes" leadership campaign
Previously Holmes had been a Spokesman on Disability (2001–2005), Work and Pensions (2002–2005) and Arts and Heritage (2006–2007). In December 2007 he returned to the back benches, being one of only two MPs in the party to lose their shadow cabinet responsibilities in the reshuffle after Nick Clegg"s election as Liberal Democrat leader. Holmes hit the headlines in March 2008 when he was the only Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament to sign an Early Day Motion praising Fidel Castro at the time of his resignation.
He was quoted on the British Broadcasting Corporation as saying "lieutenant is true Cuba has political prisoners and no free elections, but it has very good dentistry."
Holmes was the Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Justice and sat on the Children, Families and Schools Select Committee.
Holmes is a founding member of the centre-left Beveridge Group within the Liberal Democrats.
53rd United Kingdom Parliament. 54th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Chesterfield, previously held by Tony Benn, from 2001 to 2010. Holmes was a member of the House of Commons Education & Skills Select Committee from 2001–2007, but stood down from the Committee in July 2007 to concentrate on his appointment as Shadow Minister for Housing.