Mark Menzies

Mark Menzies
MP
Member of Parliament
for Fylde
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded by Michael Jack
Majority 13,224 (30.4%)
Personal details
Born Mark Andrew Menzies
(1971-05-18) 18 May 1971[1]
Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK
Nationality British
Political party Conservatives
Alma mater University of Glasgow
Religion Catholic
Website www.markmenzies.org.uk

Mark Andrew Menzies[2] (born 18 May 1971) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fylde in Lancashire since 2010. He was formerly PPS to Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change before both men were moved in the 2012 Cabinet Reshuffle. He resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Mark Prisk MP, Minister of State for Housing and Local Government in March 2014.

Early life

Menzies grew up in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, raised by his mother after his Merchant Navy father died a month before he was born.[3] With his mother working shifts at the local ICI factory to support them, he attended a local primary school before benefiting from the Assisted Places Scheme at a nearby independent secondary school, the Keil School. At the University of Glasgow he was President of the Conservative Association, in 1994 and graduated from the university with an honours degree in economic and social history. Menzies' professional career was spent in the retail sector. He joined Marks & Spencer as a graduate trainee in 1994 and has later worked in marketing for two large UK supermarkets. In 2007, he was the recipient of the IGD/Unilever Social Innovation Marketing award.[4]

Menzies stood as a Conservative candidate for the safe Labour seat of Glasgow Govan in the 2001 general election, where he came fourth. In 2005 he stood in Selby in Yorkshire, a Labour marginal, and came in second. He was added to David Cameron's "A-List" in 2006 and Menzies was selected for Fylde in November 2008.[5] He was elected at the 2010 general election, retaining the seat for the Conservatives, gaining 22,826 votes, 52.2% of the total.

Parliamentary career

After his election in May 2010, Menzies made his maiden speech on 21 June 2010.[6] In November 2010, Menzies was one of only seven newly elected MPs to be chosen as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to a Minister of the Government.[7]

Menzies has been involved in the advocacy of several issues in relation to his Fylde constituency. In the autumn of 2011 he successfully called upon the Government to establish an Enterprize Zone at Warton which he believes will attract international investment and mitigate the compulsory redundancies announced at BAE.[8] Similarly, he has also praised BAE Warton as being a centre of excellence in nine different practice areas and acknowledges the contribution that the company makes to the local economy.[9]

In October and November 2011, reports emerged of dangerous cockling practices in the Ribble Estuary.[10] Menzies raised Governmental awareness of this issue and called for urgent action to avoid a repeat of the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster.[11] He succeeded in implementing a temporary ban pending further emergency by-laws.

Menzies campaigned for the liberalisation of Sunday Trading legislation. He brought forward a Bill which sought to allow local authorities to vary Sunday trading restrictions in their jurisdiction contemporaneously to large national events.[12] More specifically, he argued that the retail sector should be able to take advantage of any extra revenues generated by the Olympics in London 2012. In line with Menzies' interest in defence, he is a member of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. Menzies was a member of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee for a time in 2010 before his appointment as a PPS.[3] His website states that his main political priorities include "UK energy security, changing the planning system to empower local communities and limit inappropriate development and ensuring a vibrant future for the defence industry within the UK".

Menzies was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.[13]

Resignation

At the end of March 2014 he resigned as PPS, following tabloid newspaper stories about his private life. In a statement, he said: "A number of these allegations are not true and I look forward to setting the record straight in due course."[3][14][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 59418. p. 8743. 13 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Edward Malnick "Tory MP Mark Menzies quits as ministerial aide over gay sex claims", Sunday Telegraph, 29 March 2014
  4. ↑ "About Mark Menzies MP". Markmenzies.org.uk. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: Where are the original A-Listers now? The 18 who have been selected for Conservative seats". Conservativehome.blogs.com. 21 April 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Maiden Speech | Mark Menzies MP". Markmenzies.org.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "Government publishes list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS) – Press releases". Number10.gov.uk. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Coates, David (4 October 2011). "Skills hub to kick-off new enterprise zone – Lancashire Evening Post". Lep.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "House of Commons debates". TheyWorkForYou. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Ribble estuary cockler rescues: Coastguard in 23 call-outs". Bbc.co.uk. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "BBC News – Ribble cocklers: Mark Menzies MP fears fatal accident". Bbc.co.uk. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Sunday Trading (Amendment) Bill 2010–12". Services.parliament.uk. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  13. ↑ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Lusher, Adam (29 March 2014). "Tory MP Mark Menzies resigns as ministerial aide following allegations by Brazilian rent boy". The Independent.
  15. ↑ "Mark Menzies MP quits as aide over newspaper allegations". BBC News. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
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