Paul John Flowers is an English businessman, former Methodist minister, and politician. Born in 1950, Flowers built a career spanning local politics and corporate governance, serving as a Labour councillor in Rochdale and Bradford. He achieved significant prominence when he was appointed as the non-executive chairman of the Co-operative Bank. Additionally, he held political influence within the Labour Party, being appointed to a senior post by party leader Ed Miliband in 2010.
Flowers's career unraveled in 2013. Following the discovery of a £1.5 billion deficit in the Co-operative Bank's finances and a £700 million loss in the first half of the year, he resigned from his chairmanship in May 2013. Later that year, media reports exposed illicit activities, including video evidence of Flowers apparently purchasing illegal drugs. This led to a court conviction for drug possession. Further controversies emerged regarding his tenure at Bradford Council, where he resigned in 2011 after inappropriate adult content was discovered on his council computer.
Beyond financial and drug-related scandals, Flowers faced scrutiny over his past administrative roles. While serving as deputy head of social services at Rochdale Council, he was revealed to have known about abuse at a residential boys' school without taking action, and he rejected abuse allegations against MP Cyril Smith. Reports also surfaced regarding his use of work email to contact sex workers and a past conviction for a public sex act. In February 2025, Flowers was sentenced to three years in prison for fraud.
