The following year he worked briefly in print sales with KallKwik Printers, before becoming a research assistant at the London Borough of Hounslow in 1987.

He was elected as a councillor for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Sutton Borough Council in 1986, and was its deputy leader from 1994 to 1997.

In 1988, he joined the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors as a campaigns officer; he then became its political secretary in 1996, where he remained until becoming an MP.

He was defeated by the Conservative Lady Olga Maitland despite achieving one of the largest swings to the Liberal Democrats in London at that election.

Burstow joined several other new Liberal Democrat MPs, for the party gained many other south-west London seats at that election.

[10] Burstow's interest in social care saw him appointed as Chair of the Social Care Institute for Excellence in July 2017 where he has worked to refresh the board of Trustees, appoint a new Chief Executive and develop the organisation's business strategy and deliver a financial turnaround .

[12] At the charity he has reshaped and strengthened the Board, appointed a new Chief Executive and promoted collaborative working with NHS mental health providers in the East and West Midlands to address a number of longstanding quality challenges.

He has helped to shape the system partnership across Hertfordshire and West Essex and overseen the appointment of the new Board and is working with local government, NHS and CVFSE partners to develop a 10 year strategy and 5 year joint plan to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population.