Paul Richards joined Labour in 1986, and has been involved in politics ever since. He was chair of the National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS), and then a Policy Adviser (PAD) ahead of the 1992 general election. He worked at Labour HQ under John Smith, and then co-founded Progress to support Tony Blair. Paul is the Labour and Co-operative parliamentary candidate for Eastbourne. He was also a Labour parliamentary candidate in 1997 and 2001, and chair of the Fabian Society in 2003-4. He serves on the Fabian executive. From 2005 to 2009 Paul was a Special Adviser at Health, Cabinet Office, and Communities. After 2010, Paul has been an adviser to MPs, speechwriter, and political commentator. He is author of four books. Paul was the Labour & Co-operative candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in Sussex in 2021 and 2024.