Mark Harper: Difference between revisions
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In October 2010, the Government introduced the ''Public Bodies Bill''<ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldbills/025/11025.i-ii.html www.parliament.uk Public Bodies Bill]</ref> to [[The House of Lords]]. It included a clause (Clause 17(2)) enabling the Secretary of State to sell off forests currently managed by the Forestry Commission; which include large areas of the [[Forest of Dean]]. |
In October 2010, the Government introduced the ''Public Bodies Bill''<ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldbills/025/11025.i-ii.html www.parliament.uk Public Bodies Bill]</ref> to [[The House of Lords]]. It included a clause (Clause 17(2)) enabling the Secretary of State to sell off forests currently managed by the Forestry Commission; which include large areas of the [[Forest of Dean]]. |
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Mark Harper defended the proposals, describing them as an'' 'exciting opportunity for community ownership'.''<ref>The Forest and Wye Valley Review, 19 November 2010, page 15</ref> However, they were widely criticised by many residents within his constituency,<ref>[http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Support-grows-Forest-sell/article-2823196-detail/article.html www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk Support grows against Forest sell off]</ref><ref>[http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Hands-Forest/article-2808645-detail/article.html www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk Hands off our Forest]</ref> by the local press<ref>[http://www.theforester.co.uk/saveourforest.cfm ''The Forester'', Hands off our Forest]</ref> and by politicians with connections to the Forest of Dean, most notably [[Janet Anne Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon|Baroness Jan Royall]], Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. She described Mark Harper as'' 'fundamentally wrong' ''and his views on the subject as'' 'utter nonsense'.''<ref>Forest and Wye Valley Review, 26 November 2010, page 12</ref><ref>[http://www.chepstow-today.co.uk/featuresdetail.cfm?id=3307 Chepstow Today 'Utter nonsense']</ref> Concern within the local community also resulted in a number of Forest of Dean organisations coming together to create an alliance called [[Hands off our Forest]] (HOOF). |
Mark Harper defended the proposals, describing them as an'' 'exciting opportunity for community ownership'.''<ref>The Forest and Wye Valley Review, 19 November 2010, page 15</ref> However, they were widely criticised by many residents within his constituency,<ref>[http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Support-grows-Forest-sell/article-2823196-detail/article.html www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk Support grows against Forest sell off]</ref><ref>[http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Hands-Forest/article-2808645-detail/article.html www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk Hands off our Forest]</ref> by the local press<ref>[http://www.theforester.co.uk/saveourforest.cfm ''The Forester'', Hands off our Forest]</ref> and by politicians with connections to the Forest of Dean, most notably [[Janet Anne Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon|Baroness Jan Royall]], Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. She described Mark Harper as'' 'fundamentally wrong' ''and his views on the subject as'' 'utter nonsense'.''<ref>Forest and Wye Valley Review, 26 November 2010, page 12</ref><ref>[http://www.chepstow-today.co.uk/featuresdetail.cfm?id=3307 Chepstow Today 'Utter nonsense']</ref> Concern within the local community also resulted in a number of Forest of Dean organisations coming together to create an alliance called [[Hands off our Forest]] (HOOF). Noted green issues campaigner [[Jonathon Porritt]] commented that Harper was "engineering his own political extinction at the next General Election" through his postion on the issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jonathonporritt.com/pages/2010/12/why_you_wouldnt_want_to_be_mar.html|title=Why you wouldn’t want to be Mark Harper MP|author=Jonathon Porritt|date=December 2010|accessdate=2010-12-20}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 20:19, 20 December 2010
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (December 2010) |
 | This article is an autobiography or has been extensively edited by the subject or by someone connected to the subject. (June 2010) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
Mark Harper | |
|---|---|
| File:Mark Harper pic1.jpg | |
| Parliamentary under Secretary for Constitutional and Political Reform | |
| Assumed office 11 May 2010 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Member of Parliament for Forest of Dean | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Diana Mary Organ |
| Majority | 11,064 (22.7%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 February 1970 Swindon, Wiltshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Margaret Harper |
| Alma mater | Brasenose College, Oxford |
Mark James Harper (born 26 February 1970) British politician and accountant. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Forest of Dean. He is currently the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Cabinet Office, with ministerial responsibility for Political and Constitutional Reform.[1]
Early life and career
Harper was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, he was educated at the Headlands Comprehensive School and Swindon College. He then studied philosophy, politics and economics at Brasenose College, Oxford, where like David Cameron he studied under Professor Vernon Bogdanor.[2]
On graduation in 1991 he joined KPMG as an auditor. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, in 1995 he joined Intel Corporation as a senior financial analyst, becoming the finance manager in 1997, and operations manager from 2000. In 2002 he left Intel to set up his own accountancy practice.
Harper married his wife, Margaret, in July 1999 in Swindon. The couple live in Newham Bottom, and have two Labrador dogs. He was a governor of Newent Community School from 2000 to 2005, and is a member of The Freedom Association.
Political career
Harper became the treasurer of the Swindon Conservative Association in 1993, and from 1997 to the new Swindon South Conservative Association, becoming the vice chairman for a year in 1998. He contested the Gloucestershire seat of Forest of Dean at the 2001 General Election but was defeated by the sitting Labour MP Diana Organ by 2,049 votes. Organ retired at the 2005 General Election and Harper gained the seat for the Tories with a majority of 2,049, exactly the same number of votes by which he was defeated at the previous election. In the 2010 General election, Mark was re-elected as member for the Forest of Dean with 46.81% of the vote increasing his majority to over 11,000. [3]
Parliamentary career
Harper made his maiden speech on 24 May 2005, in which he concentrated on the education needs of his constituents with learning disabilities.[4] In Parliament, he served on the administration select committee from 2005 to 2006. In December 2005 he was promoted to the front bench by David Cameron as a spokesman on defence and Veterans. On 15 May 2006, he hosted the first Conservative Party Veterans Summit, bringing together organisations from across the country to discuss the issues facing war veterans and established a platform from which to develop Conservative Party policy on the issue. On 11 April 2007, David Cameron appointed Mark to the position of Shadow Minister for Forces Families & Welfare. In the last Parliament Mark’s helped over 12,000 people and played a key role in protecting the Dilke and Lydney hospitals.
In July 2007, Harper was appointed Shadow Minister for Disabled People in David Cameron's frontbench reshuffle.
Harper was appointed Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform in the Cabinet Office in May, 2010, working with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on areas including: fixed term Parliaments; legislation to hold a referendum on the Alternative Vote system for the House of Commons; reduce the size of Parliamnet by upto 10%; create fewer and more equal sized constituencies; individual voter registration.[2]
A noted Euro-sceptic, Harper is a strong supporter of Israel and is a member of Conservative Friends of Israel.
Notable issues
Defence
From December 2005 to July 2007, Harper was Shadow Defence Minister with special responsibility for the Forces' Families manifesto.
Harper is a strong supporter of renewing the Trident nuclear missile system. On 19 January 2007, he spoke at a debate in Gloucestershire in favour of Trident renewal alongside Lee Willett from the Royal United Services Institute; speaking against the motion was former Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament chair Bruce Kent, and Michael Meacher MP. Harper has written several articles in support of Trident renewal for local newspapers The Citizen and The Forester. On 25 January 2007, he visited the submarine base at Faslane, Scotland.
Characterization of people collecting disability benefits
On 10 September 2010, Harper stated on the BBC program Any Questions? that "There are definitely some people in our country, and everyone in every community knows who they are, who are able to work, and don't". After the interviewer challenged these words as being "outrageous", Harper repeated the notion, saying, "Everybody knows them, able-bodied people..."[5]
Proposed sale of Forestry Commission land
In October 2010, the Government introduced the Public Bodies Bill[6] to The House of Lords. It included a clause (Clause 17(2)) enabling the Secretary of State to sell off forests currently managed by the Forestry Commission; which include large areas of the Forest of Dean.
Mark Harper defended the proposals, describing them as an 'exciting opportunity for community ownership'.[7] However, they were widely criticised by many residents within his constituency,[8][9] by the local press[10] and by politicians with connections to the Forest of Dean, most notably Baroness Jan Royall, Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. She described Mark Harper as 'fundamentally wrong' and his views on the subject as 'utter nonsense'.[11][12] Concern within the local community also resulted in a number of Forest of Dean organisations coming together to create an alliance called Hands off our Forest (HOOF). Noted green issues campaigner Jonathon Porritt commented that Harper was "engineering his own political extinction at the next General Election" through his postion on the issue.[13]
References
- ^ http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/government-business/government-ministers-responsibilities.aspx/
- ^ a b "Mark Harper backs first-past-the-post: meet the man reshaping our politics". The Guardian. 12 August 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4520687.stm
- ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050524/debtext/50524-16.htm#50524-16_spnew0
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qgvj/episodes/player
- ^ www.parliament.uk Public Bodies Bill
- ^ The Forest and Wye Valley Review, 19 November 2010, page 15
- ^ www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk Support grows against Forest sell off
- ^ www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk Hands off our Forest
- ^ The Forester, Hands off our Forest
- ^ Forest and Wye Valley Review, 26 November 2010, page 12
- ^ Chepstow Today 'Utter nonsense'
- ^ Jonathon Porritt (December 2010). "Why you wouldn't want to be Mark Harper MP". Retrieved 20 December 2010.
External links
- Mark Harper MP official site
- Mark Harper MP biography at the site of the Conservative Party
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Mark Harper MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Mark Harper MP
- Forest of Dean Conservatives
- The Public Whip - Mark Harper MP voting record
- BBC Politics page
- [1] Cabinet Office