Mark F. Watts

For other people named Mark Watts, see Mark Watts (disambiguation).

Mark Francis Watts, (born June 11, 1964 in London), is a former Labour Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP), and now public affairs lobbyist, having represented South East England United Kingdom from 1994 to 2004.

Early years

Watts attended Maidstone Grammar School, MidKent College and studied economics, BSc & MSc(Econ) at the London School of Economics and worked for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames covering planning, transport and economic development.^[1]

Political life

Watts was elected as a Maidstone Borough Councillor in 1986, and became Leader of its Labour Group in 1990.^[1] He was elected an MEP in 1994, gaining the East Kent Constituency for Labour from the Conservatives, beating incumbent Christopher Jackson, and stood again successfully for the South East England regional constituency in 1999, but was not re-elected in 2004 when Labour's national performance declined.^[2]

He specialised in transport issues, being Labour Transport Spokesman in the European Parliament for eight years.^[1] He served on the Committee on Transport and Tourism and then the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism. He was a champion of enlargement and the application of the Copenhagen Criteria to Central and Eastern and the islands of Malta and Cyprus. He was vice-chair, first of the Delegation to the EU-Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee and then of the Delegation to the EU-Malta Joint Parliamentary Committee. He was Rapporteur on a number of important pieces of EU legislation.^[3] He also championed Better Regulation and was appointed by Tony Blair as link MEP to the Cabinet Office (1999–2004). He led the ultimately unsuccessful campaign in the European Parliament to Save Duty Free in the EU.

Watts was a leading supporter of Tony Blair and New Labour. He voted to support the Iraq war that led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.^[4]

Life since the European Parliament

Watts was Director of Waterfront Europe, a public affairs consultancy, specialising in transport issues between 2004 and 2009. He is now co-owner and Director of Luther Pendragon Brussels, an integrated communications consultancy inspired by the legend of King Arthur, his castle Camelot, his sword Excaliber and the Knights of the Round Table. He is also a member of the Council of the University of Kent.^[1] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in 2010. He is listed in Who's Who. He writes and lectures regularly on a range of international topics.

Watts continues to champion EU enlargement and recently advocated a European Mediterranean Union to include countries in the Middle East and North Africa which guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the respect for and protection of minorities.

He advocates an In/out EU membership referendum in the UK which he says "will give us pro-Europeans the chance to make the case for Europe and secure the consent of our generation."

Red Orchestra Commemoration

Watts is organising a commemorative event in the European Parliament on 6 December hosted by Peter Skinner, a senior British MEP, to mark the 70th Anniversary of the raid by the German Abwehr on the Red Orchestra Brussels HQ. The Red Orchestra was probably the most successful spy network in WW2. The raid led the capture, torture, and execution of over 100 agents. It will include a seminar with Hans Coppi, Jr. and other leading Red Orchestra experts, and a commemorative reception. The Russian Ambassador to the EU, H.E. Vladimir Chizhov, is guest of honour. The American, British and Israeli Ambassadors to Belgium will attend together with a representative of the German Government.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Waterfront Public Affairs: Mark Watts
2. ^ European Parliament Elections — UK Results
3. ^ Your MEPs : Archives : Mark Francis WATTS
4. ^ Iraq: how your MEP voted | World news | guardian.co.uk

External links

• Speeches in the European Parliament

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Name	Watts, Mark
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Date of birth	June 11, 1964
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Date of death
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