Paul Frederick Howell was a British Conservative politician who represented Norfolk as a Member of the European Parliament for fifteen years. Born in January 1951, he was elected to the European Parliament in 1979 during the first direct elections to that body and served continuously until 1994. Throughout his tenure as MEP, Howell focused on issues affecting his East Anglian constituency, particularly matters relating to agriculture and rural policy given Norfolk's significant farming community. His time in the European Parliament coincided with important developments in European integration during the 1980s and early 1990s.

After leaving the European Parliament in 1994, Howell remained engaged with political and policy matters until his death in September 2008. His experience representing a predominantly rural constituency gave him particular insight into the challenges facing agricultural communities within the European Union framework. Paul Howell writes commentary for Comment Central, drawing on his extensive background in European politics and regional representation.