- Mark Prisk
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Mark Prisk MP 
Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Incumbent Assumed office
13 May 2010Preceded by New post Member of Parliament
for Hertford and StortfordIncumbent Assumed office
7 June 2001Preceded by Bowen Wells Majority 15,437 (27.9%) Personal details Born 12 June 1962
Redruth, Cornwall, EnglandNationality British Political party Conservative Spouse(s) Lesley Titcomb Alma mater University of Reading Michael Mark Prisk (born 12 June 1962, in Redruth, Cornwall) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hertford and Stortford, and was appointed Minister of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in May 2010. He earlier served on the opposition frontbench as Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise, and Shadow Minister for Cornwall.[1]
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Early life
Prisk was born at Redruth and whilst living at Camborne was educated at Truro School in 1973-80. He went on to study Land Management at the University of Reading, gaining a BSc degree. From 1983 to 1985, he was Chairman of the Youth Section of Peace through NATO. He was vice-chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students in 1982-83.
After graduation he worked in property and economic development, rising to become director of a £3 million practice. From 1983 to 1985, he worked as a graduate surveyor for Knight Frank, then a Development Surveyor for Derrick Wade & Waters where he became manager of the London office from 1985 to 1989. He was a marketing director from 1989-91, then principal of the Mark Prisk Connection from 1991 to 1997. From 1997 to 2001, he was company owner of MP2.
Parliamentary career
He was a former Chairman of Cornwall Young Conservatives and after two unsuccessful parliamentary battles in 1992 (Newham North West) and 1997 (Wansdyke), he was finally elected as the Conservative MP for the constituency of Hertford and Stortford in 2001. Since gaining his seat at Westminister, he has been marked for ministerial office in a future Tory government. He has been promoted from the backbenches to serve at various points as Shadow Financial Secretary, Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs, an opposition whip and Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise. He is author of several pamphlets on urban design.
Shadow Minister for Cornwall
On 26 July 2007, the Conservative party appointed Mark Prisk as Shadow Minister for Cornwall, although there is no government post of Minister for Cornwall for the opposition to formally shadow. The party said that the move was intended to help place the county's concerns "at the heart of Conservative thinking". Conservative Party leader David Cameron said he wholeheartedly endorsed the appointment and it would ensure that the voice of Cornwall was heard. [2] The post was discontinued following the 2010 general election, and currently there is no "minister for Cornwall".
Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor accused the Conservative Party of using the appointment in a bid to get around the rule that requires MPs to limit the local cases they take up to their own constituency, by claiming that party political activity by MPs outside their own constituencies was in the role of "Shadow Minister" for the areas concerned, despite there being no actual Minister to shadow.[3]
Mark Prisk defended his role as Shadow Minister for Cornwall in open letter to the Falmouth Packet dated Wednesday 28 November 2007. He noted that, "as a born and bred Cornishman", his role is to listen to the concerns of people in Cornwall, to feed these back to the Shadow Cabinet, and to make sure that Conservative policies properly reflect the needs of Cornwall.[4]
Personal life
He married Lesley Titcomb, now a senior regulator at the Financial Services Authority,[5] in April 1989 in Oxfordshire. They live in Much Hadham. He sings in the Parliament choir with his wife. He is a member of Saracens Rugby Club.
References
- ^ People - Mark Prisk Conservative Party website
- ^ Mark Prisk appointed Tory Shadow Minister for Cornwall
- ^ "'Fictional Minister' Prompts Row". BBC News. 2009-03-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7948984.stm. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
- ^ Mid Devon Star 28 November 2007
- ^ Bridge, Rachel (14 February 2010), "We need to halt the meddling", Sunday Times, http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/sme/article7026236.ece, retrieved 2010-06-16
External links
- Mark Prisk MP official constituency website
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Electoral history and profile at The Guardian
- Voting record at PublicWhip.org
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
- Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
- BBC Politics page
- News articles
- Video clips
Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by
Bowen WellsMember of Parliament for Hertford and Stortford
2001–presentIncumbent Categories:- 1962 births
- Living people
- People from Redruth
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- People from Camborne
- People from Much Hadham
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs
- UK MPs 2001–2005
- UK MPs 2005–2010
- UK MPs 2010–
- Alumni of the University of Reading
- Old Truronians
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