Mark Fletcher (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Fletcher
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Assistant Government Whip | |
| In office 14 November 2023 – 5 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Member of Parliament for Bolsover |
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| In office 12 December 2019 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Dennis Skinner |
| Succeeded by | Natalie Fleet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 September 1985 Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Will Knock |
| Education | Ridgewood School |
| Alma mater | Jesus College, Cambridge |
Mark Fletcher, born on September 29, 1985, is a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolsover from 2019 to 2024. An MP is someone elected to represent a specific area in the UK Parliament. Mark Fletcher is a member of the Conservative Party.
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Early Life and Education
Mark Fletcher grew up in Doncaster, a town in South Yorkshire, England. He went to Ridgewood School. He was the first person in his family to attend university.
He studied land economy at Jesus College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he was also the president of the Cambridge University Students' Union.
Political Career
Before becoming an MP, Mark Fletcher worked in the House of Lords. He was a chief of staff for the prime minister's trade envoy. This role involved helping with trade relationships between the UK and countries like Uganda and Rwanda. He also worked for a private healthcare company.
Early Elections
In the 2015 general election, Fletcher ran for election in the Doncaster North area. He stood against Ed Miliband, who was the leader of the Labour Party at the time.
Two years later, in the 2017 general election, he was a candidate in Stockton North. Although he increased the Conservative Party's votes there, he did not win the election.
Fletcher also took part in local elections in May 2018. He ran for a seat on the Tower Hamlets London Borough Council in London.
Becoming an MP
Mark Fletcher was chosen to be the Conservative candidate for Bolsover in the 2019 general election. He won the election, defeating Dennis Skinner. Skinner had been the MP for Bolsover since 1970.
Fletcher was only the third person to be the MP for Bolsover since the area first had its own MP in 1950.
Work as an MP
As an MP, Mark Fletcher worked on several important projects for his area. He was involved in efforts to reopen a disused railway line in Ashfield District. He also supported a campaign to bring back education for students over 16 years old to Bolsover. Another project he worked on was to improve a major road junction on the M1 motorway.
In 2022, Fletcher resigned from his role as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS). A PPS is an MP who helps a government minister. Later that year, he was appointed PPS to Kwasi Kwarteng, who was the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the minister in charge of the country's money). In 2023, he became PPS to Jeremy Hunt, who also became Chancellor under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
In November 2023, Mark Fletcher was appointed an Assistant Government Whip. Whips help make sure that members of their political party vote in a certain way in Parliament.
2024 General Election
In the 2024 general election, Mark Fletcher lost his seat in Bolsover. The new MP for Bolsover is Natalie Fleet from the Labour Party.
Political Views
Mark Fletcher is a supporter of Brexit. He voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.
He has also shared his opinions about the BBC, a major British broadcasting company. He has said that he believes some of its coverage does not fairly represent working-class communities in the North and Midlands of England.
Personal Life
Mark Fletcher is married to Will Knock.
