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Member of Parliament - Mark Prisk MP

Shadow Minister for Business & Enterprise

Mark's Experience

Mark was elected to the House of Commons in June 2001, as the Member of Parliament for Hertford & Stortford. A Conservative Party member for over 20 years, Mark has led many local and national campaigns and elections, and had stood for Parliament twice before, in 1992 and 1997.

During the cruise missile crisis in the 1980s, Mark was at the forefront of campaigns supporting NATO, and against the anti-nuclear movement, first as vice chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students and then as the founding chairman of the cross-party Youth for Peace through NATO.

As a former freelancer, he now takes a close interest in the self-employed and small businesses. He is Vice Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Small Business Group, Chairman of the East Hertfordshire Business Forum, and Honorary Vice President of the Small Business Bureau. Mark has been proactive in Parliament fighting the red tape wrapped around small businesses.

Defence and foreign affairs are of particular interest to Mark, who is presently Vice President of the First Defence policy group.

In November 2002, Mark was appointed Shadow Financial Secretary. In November 2003, he became Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs. In November 2004, he became an Opposition Whip. Since December 2005, he has been Shadow Minister for Business & Enterprise.

About Mark

Mark was born in June 1962 in Cornwall. He was educated at Truro School, Cornwall. He went on to the University of Reading, where he graduated in 1983, with a BSc (Hons) in Land Management.

After graduating from University in 1983, Mark worked in the property & economic development markets, rising to become a director of a £3m practice. In 1991 he left to form his own strategic marketing and communication consultancy, serving professional firms in both the UK and overseas. As a self employed businessman and company director between 1991-2001, Mark advised a wide range of professional firms in the markets for property, construction and environmental services both in the UK and abroad. Mark specialised in providing strategic marketing and communication advice and support.

In his spare time Mark watches rugby and cricket, and is a member of Saracens RFC and Middlesex CCC. He also enjoys singing, playing the piano and going to the Theatre. When in the constituency he enjoys walking in the beautiful countryside in East Hertfordshire.

Campaigning on...

Mark has recently been campaigning on the following issues:

Defending the Green Belt

Hertfordshire has been told by the Government to build over 49000 homes in the next 15 years. This is a huge increase and the danger is our Green Belt will be lost forever. Mark is an ardent supporter of retaining the Green Belt wherever reasonably possible and directing development wherever possible into our market towns.

Freedom to Freelance

If you want to be self employed the onus is on you to prove your status, not just every year but for every contract. In January 2002, Mark introduced a new bill, the Right to Self Employment bill 2002, to the House of Commons, which would move the burden of proof from the individual and provide much greater certainty to the 4 million self employed in the UK. The Bill has received a second reading scheduled for April 2002.

Prompt Payment

Small businesses are often the last to get paid and as a former self employed businessman Mark is determined to change these bad habits. Mark has introduced a prompt payment commitment in East Hertfordshire which seeks the personal commitment of the CEO of every signatory org to pay all their bills no late than the end of the month following receipt of the invoice. This would reduce the current average payment period from 62 days to no more than 35 days.

As your MP, Mark will campaign to:

• Increase police officers, and make our streets safer.

• Defend our countryside and towns from over-development.

• Get immigration under control and make our borders secure.

• Cut taxes for pensioners and hard working families.

• Free our schools, to meet each child's needs.

• Oppose the EU Constitution, keep the pound and bring powers back from Brussels.

Contact Details

Email: hunterj@parliament.uk
Telephone: 01920 462182
Fax: 01920 485805