Mark Clarke (politician) facts for kids

Mark Clarke, born on June 15, 1977, is a British former politician and activist. He was involved with the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. He led groups like the Young Britons' Foundation and Conservative Future. He also directed an organization called "Road Trip," which helped transport Conservative party supporters to different areas during the 2015 general election campaign. In September 2015, Mark Clarke was suspended from the Conservative Party. This happened after an activist named Elliott Johnson made claims about him before his death. Later, in November 2015, Clarke was permanently banned from joining or representing the Conservative Party due to various complaints about his actions.

Early Life and Education

Mark Clarke was born in June 1977. His mother was Madeline Clarke, and his father was Denis Ogden. He is related to Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, who was the first female prime minister of Dominica. His grandfather, Bertie Clarke, was a cricket player from Barbados who played for the West Indies. Bertie Clarke came to Britain in 1939 to play cricket. He could not go back home because World War II started. He then became a doctor. Mark's parents separated when he was young. He grew up in Isleworth, West London.

Mark Clarke went to Dulwich College in London. He received a special government scholarship to attend. After that, he studied Ancient and Modern History at Durham University. He finished his studies in 1999.

Career Paths

History Storytime Podcast

After facing challenges with traditional jobs, Mark Clarke started a history podcast for children. He had studied history at university. The podcast was called "History Storytime" and featured his two daughters, Sophie and Ellie, with Mark credited as "Daddy." The podcast began in 2018. The company for the podcast was officially closed on April 5, 2022.

Marketing Work

From his graduation until 2015, Mark Clarke worked as a marketing consultant. He worked with large companies like Procter and Gamble, Mars, Accenture, and Unilever. He also lived in Switzerland for four years. In 2015, he was a senior marketing analyst at Unilever. He left the company in March 2018 after some serious complaints were made against him. Unilever started an investigation, but he resigned before it was finished.

Early Political Involvement

Mark Clarke was an active campaigner for the Conservative Party starting in 1997. He was seen with former Prime Minister John Major when he gave his speech after losing the election to Tony Blair. Later, between 2006 and 2008, Mark Clarke was elected chairman of Conservative Future. He also became well-known in the Young Britons' Foundation as their director of outreach. He was even nicknamed "Tatler Tory" by Tatler magazine, which suggested he might become a future government minister.

2010 General Election Campaign

Sadiq Khan, who won against Mark Clarke in the 2010 General Election.

In 2010, Mark Clarke ran as the Conservative Party candidate for Tooting. He lost to the Labour Party candidate Sadiq Khan by 2,524 votes. During the campaign, a newspaper reported claims from Naaz Coker, who was the chairman of a local hospital trust. Mr. Coker said that Clarke had made "inaccurate" claims to "undermine" people's trust in their local health services. Clarke denied these claims.

The Road Trip Group

Mark Clarke created a campaigning group called "Road Trip." This group later received support from the Conservative Party headquarters and the Party Chairman, Grant Shapps MP. It was very active during the 2015 General Election. The group organized buses to take young party members to important areas to campaign. Some local Conservatives thought the help from "Road Trip" was "chaotic and useless."

When serious complaints about the "Road Trip" activities started appearing in the news in September 2015, the group's activities were stopped. It was later officially closed down.

Investigations and Outcomes

The police looked into serious complaints against Mark Clarke after Elliott Johnson's death. However, after an investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), they decided there was not enough evidence to charge him. On February 9, 2016, a CPS spokesperson said they concluded there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Mark Clarke.

In response, Elliott Johnson's family said they would appeal the CPS decision. They also considered starting their own legal case. An appeal was made, and news reports on February 11 said that new charges against Clarke were being considered.

Conservative Party Ban

On November 18, 2015, it was reported that Mark Clarke had been permanently removed from the Conservative Party. He was given a lifetime ban. This means Mark Clarke can never represent or run as a candidate for the Conservative Party again.

Media Attention

Mark Clarke's involvement in these matters has been discussed on several radio and television programs, including Newsnight.

Make Me A Tory Documentary

Mark Clarke was featured in Make Me a Tory, a 2007 Channel 4 documentary. Future Prime Minister David Cameron was also in the film. In the documentary, Mark Clarke was one of several campaigners who tried to convince the filmmaker, a lifelong Labour Party supporter, to change their political views.

Newsnight Features

Ben Howlett MP.

On November 18, 2015, Mark Clarke was the main topic of an investigative report on BBC's current affairs program Newsnight. During the show, his colleague, Conservative MP Ben Howlett, spoke about his efforts to address difficult situations within the Party's youth section.

Another Newsnight program, aired on December 8, 2015, discussed claims that the chairman of the Conservative Party, Lord Feldman, knew about problems in the Party's youth section as early as 2010. It was reported that a detailed document was given to him and Sayeeda Warsi by two activists, naming several people involved, including Clarke.

BBC Radio 4 Program

On November 29, 2015, a special thirteen-minute program about Mark Clarke was broadcast on Radio 4. The program explored why some high-ranking officials in the Conservative Party and government were resigning. It also discussed how Mark Clarke's political activities might have helped the Conservatives win the General Election. The program concluded that he had quickly become "the disappearing man of British politics" because his former friends were unwilling to defend him. It stated that "the former Chairman of Conservative Future now has no Future in the Conservative Party."

Personal Life

Mark Clarke was in a relationship with Conservative MP Justine Greening.