Constituency : Cheadle 2005-2015
Mark took over from the deceased Patsy Calton in the Liberal Democrats' first by-election defence since Truro in 1987. He won with a slight increase in the vote share.
Mark was educated at Audenshaw Grammar School for Boys. He worked as a marketing executive for the Guardian Media Group. I first came across him as the leader of the small Liberal group at Tameside Council in 1987. He stood in Ashton-under-Lyne that year, coming third. He moved across the border to more fertile territory in Stockport and was elected a councillor there in 1996. He stood for Stockport in 2001. In 2002 he became Leader of the Council. He served on the North West Regional Authority and in the Local Government Association.
Mark became a spokesman on the ODPM, then Home Affairs then Foreign Affairs . He was PPS to Nick Clegg when he became leader and also Transport spokesman. He was the Liberal Democrat Deputy chief whip from 2010 to 2014.
Mark was defeated in 2015 by the Tories. He stood again in 2017 and reduced the Tory majority by 2,000 despite UKIP dropping out. He has been re-elected to the council and currently leads the Liberal Democrat group.
He is now 61.
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