Mark Reckless was a Member of the National Assembly
for Wales between May 2016 and April 2021. This was his biography at the time
he left.
Key interests and
achievements
Mark
Reckless has campaigned all his adult life for the UK to leave the European
Union.
In
October 2012, Mark defeated the then UK coalition government for the first time
in a parliamentary vote, with a motion requiring a real terms reduction in the
EU budget. This was delivered, saving UK taxpayers billions of pounds, and
within three months the Prime Minister agreed to a referendum on EU membership.
In
the autumn of 2014, Mark left the Conservative party and joined UKIP. He stood
down from his seat in the UK Parliament to seek the endorsement of his
constituents and was re-elected in a by-election.
Professional background
Before
politics, Mark worked as UK Economist for the investment bank S.G. Warburg (now
part of UBS). He was rated top three by clients on the Extel and Institutional
Investor surveys. Mark later worked as a management consultant. In 2007 he was
called to the Bar. In 2009 he qualified as a solicitor with Hebert Smith LLP,
having spent time as Judicial Assistant to the Vice-President of the Court of
Appeal.
Political history
Having
fought for the Medway constituency seat in 2001 and 2005, Mark was elected as
Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood in 2010. He also served as a Medway
Councillor and a member of the Kent Police Authority.
Mark
was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in May 2016. In April
2017, Mark left UKIP joining the Conservative group at the Assembly. In May
2019, Mark left the Conservative group at the Assembly.
Register of
Interests
Register of Interests – Fifth Senedd (PDF,
3.25MB)
