Mark Menzies
Encyclopedia
Mark Andrew Menzies is a British
Conservative Party
politician who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Fylde
in Lancashire
since 2010. He is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Charles Hendry
MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and a former member of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. 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. He lives in St Annes
.
on the Ayrshire
coast, raised by his mother after his Merchant Navy father died a month before he was born. With Mark’s 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. He graduated from the University of Glasgow
, where he was President of the Conservative Association, in 1994 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 since worked in marketing for two large UK supermarkets. In 2007, he was the recipient of the IGD/Unilever Social Innovation Marketing award.
in 2001
and Selby
in 2005
, Menzies was added to David Cameron
's "A-List" in 2006 and was selected for Fylde in November 2008 and elected at the 2010 general election, when he gained 22,826 votes, 52.2% of the total.
to a Minister of the Government.
Menzies has championed a number of issues, most notably 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
. 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.
In October and November of 2011, reports emerged of dangerous cockling practices in the Ribble Estuary. Menzies raised Governmental awareness of this issue and called for urgent action in order to avoid a repeat of the Morecambe Bay
disaster. He succeeded in implementing a temporary ban pending further emergency by-laws.
Menzies has also 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 juristiction contemporaneously to large national events. 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
, thereby gaining an understanding of life in the military.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Fylde
Fylde (UK Parliament constituency)
Fylde is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
since 2010. He is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Charles Hendry
Charles Hendry
Charles Hendry is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Wealden. In May 2010 he was appointed Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change.-Early life:...
MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and a former member of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. 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. He lives in St Annes
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
.
Early Life
Menzies grew up in ArdrossanArdrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
on the Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
coast, raised by his mother after his Merchant Navy father died a month before he was born. With Mark’s mother working shifts at the local ICI
ICI
ICI or Ici may mean:* ICI programming language, a computer programming language developed in 1992* Ici , an alternative weekly newspaper in Montreal, CanadaICI is also an abbreviation which may mean:...
factory to support them, he attended a local primary school before benefiting from the assisted places scheme at a nearby independent secondary. He graduated from the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, where he was President of the Conservative Association, in 1994 with an honours degree in economic and social history. Menzies' professional career was spent in the retail sector. He joined Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
as a graduate trainee in 1994 and has since worked in marketing for two large UK supermarkets. In 2007, he was the recipient of the IGD/Unilever Social Innovation Marketing award.
Candidate History
After standing as the Conservative candidate for Glasgow GovanGlasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system.The area which the constituency...
in 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
and Selby
Selby (UK Parliament constituency)
Selby was a parliamentary constituency in North Yorkshire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, Menzies was added to David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
's "A-List" in 2006 and was selected for Fylde in November 2008 and elected at the 2010 general election, when he gained 22,826 votes, 52.2% of the total.
Parliamentary Career
Having been elected in the summer of 2010, Menzies made his maiden speech on 21st June 2010. In November 2010, Menzies was one of only seven newly elected MPs to be chosen as a Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to a Minister of the Government.
Menzies has championed a number of issues, most notably in relation to his Fylde
Fylde
Fylde is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It covers part of the Fylde plain, after which it is named. The council's headquarters are in St Annes...
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
BAE
BAE Systems, a British defence, security and aerospace companyBAE may also refer to:*British Aerospace , a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer...
. 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.
In October and November of 2011, reports emerged of dangerous cockling practices in the Ribble Estuary. Menzies raised Governmental awareness of this issue and called for urgent action in order to avoid a repeat of the Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 310 km².-Natural features:The rivers Leven,...
disaster. He succeeded in implementing a temporary ban pending further emergency by-laws.
Menzies has also 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 juristiction contemporaneously to large national events. 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
Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme
The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, abbreviated to AFPS, is a privately-run programme to give Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom experience of the armed forces...
, thereby gaining an understanding of life in the military.