Paul Christopher Kohler is a British politician, nightclub owner, and academic serving as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Wimbledon since 2024.[1] Prior to his election, he was a scholar of property law who served as head of SOAS University of London's School of Law.
Paul Kohler | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Wimbledon | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen Hammond |
| Majority | 12,610 (22.9%) |
| Liberal Democrat portfolios | |
| 2024–present | Transport |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Paul Christopher Kohler |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Alma mater | Jesus College, Cambridge |
Early life and education
editKohler graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in law. During his time at university he was May Ball President, where fellow Jesus undergraduate Prince Edward served on his committee. He was also elected JCR President.[2]
Career
editIn the 1990s and 2000s, Kohler taught at University College London (UCL) and New College, Oxford. He was also Head of Best Practice at Nabarro Nathanson. Until 2019 before standing for Parliament, Kohler was a senior lecturer and former undergraduate tutor at SOAS University of London, where he served as head of the SOAS School of Law.[3] He is also a Visiting Fellow at Queen Mary University of London and owner of Covent Garden speakeasy CellarDoor, which he converted from a disused underground Gentlemen's public lavatory in 2006. He was previously a Fellow at Moscow's Russian State University of Justice but resigned in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Kohler first represented the Liberal Democrats in the 2018 local elections, achieving election as a councillor in the Trinity ward of Merton London Borough Council.[4] A year later, he was selected as the party's candidate for the constituency of Wimbledon at the 2019 general election. He was defeated by the incumbent Conservative MP, Stephen Hammond, but greatly increased the Lib Dems' vote share to a second-placed 19,745 (37.2%), reducing Hammond's majority to just 628 votes.[5] He was once again elected to the council in Merton at the 2022 local elections, this time as one of three Lib Dem councillors in the Wimbledon Town and Dundonald ward.[6] After once again securing the party's nomination for the Wimbledon parliamentary constituency at the 2024 general election, he gained the seat from the Conservatives (Hammond having not sought re-election[7]), with a vote share of 24,790 (45.1%) and a majority of 12,610 (22.9%).[8]
Personal life
editKohler is married with four daughters. He sustained severe injuries after he was beaten by burglars during a raid at his home in 2014.[9] He suffered a fractured eye socket, broken nose and severe internal bleeding.[10]
Bibliography
editBooks
edit- Property Law: Commentary and Materials (2006), with Alison Clarke; part of Law in Context
Articles and chapters
edit- "Property Law" in Current Legal Problems Vol 46 (1993)
- "The Death of Ownership and the Demise of Property" in Current Legal Problems Vol 53 (2000)
References
edit- ^ "Wimbledon - General election results 2024". BBC News.
- ^ Middleton, Becky (19 August 2014). "Brave academic Paul Kohler chased violent burglars after brutal Wimbledon assault". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Paul Kohler (Wimbledon)". The Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ Services, CS-Democracy (3 May 2018). "Councillors". democracy.merton.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Wimbledon parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News". Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Services, CS-Democracy (5 May 2022). "Councillors". democracy.merton.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Wimbledon: Tory MP Stephen Hammond to stand down at next election". BBC News. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Wimbledon - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Clarke, Amy (11 January 2023). "Stranger saves daughter of Wimbledon councillor during attempted mugging". Wimbledon Times. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ "Attack victim Paul Kohler loses police stations battle". BBC News. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
External links
edit