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The Party   >  People

WHO'S WHO

Mark Oaten MP

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Lib Dem majority: 7,476  (12%)


Constituency: Winchester

Region: South Central

PA Number: 620

Address:
13 City Road
Winchester
Hampshire
SO23 8SD

Tel: 01962 622212

Fax: 01962 863 300

Email: oatenm@parliament.uk

Web: http://www.markoaten.com

Date of Birth: 08.03.1964

Occupation: MP

Education: Watford Comprehensive School, Hertfordshire Polytechnic

Experience: Consultant for Shandwick Public Affairs 1988-92, Group Director for Westminster Communications, Managing Director of Westminster Public Relations 1996

Council Experience: Elected to Watford District Council in 1986

Parliamentary Experience: Chair of the Parliamentary Liberal Democrats 2001-3, Shadow Home Secretary 2003-6; in the 2001-2005 Parliament, Treasurer, All Party Parliamentary Humans Rights Group, Secretary, All Party EU Accession Group, Co-Chair, All Party Adoption Group

Marital status/children: Married, two daughters

RESULTS  2005 Election

Seat:

Winchester

Liberal Democrats

31,225 (51%)
Liberal Democrats
51%
Conservatives
38%
Labour
8%
Other
3%

Turnout:

61,658 (72%)

Conservative

23,749 (38%)

Swing

2.1% LD to Con

Labour

4,782 (8%)

Other

1,902 (3%)

BIOGRAPHY

Mark Oaten entered Parliament at his third attempt in November 1997, gaining this seat from the Conservatives at a by-election after his two vote victory in the General Election was declared void. He was re-elected in 2001 and 2005, but is standing down at the next general election. He is a member of the Business and Enterprise Select Committee and also British representative in the Council of Europe and Western European Union.

Mark Oaten was educated at Watford Comprehensive School and Hatfield Polytechnic. After working as a consultant for Shandwick Public Affairs [1988-92], he joined Westminster Communications and became director of Westminster Public Relations in 1996; in 1995 he was appointed a director of Oasis Radio, a Hertfordshire commercial radio station.

During the early 1980s he joined the SDP and acted as agent in a number of elections. In 1986 he became one of the country's youngest councillors and the first ever SDP councillor on Watford District Council; he served for eight years, becoming group leader. He was selected to fight Winchester in 1995. His two-vote victory  in May 1997 was declared void, but a by-election held in November 1997 convincingly confirmed him in the seat with a majority of 21,556.

As an MP his work on local issues includes: campaigning for Trade Justice and warm homes and against the Council Tax.

He was the party's Shadow Home Secretary from 2003 until he resigned in January 2006. Previous posts have included: Chairman of the Parliamentary Party [2001-03]; Spokesman for Disabilities; a member of the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs and Defence teams; and Chairman of the All Party Groups on Far Eastern Prisoners of War and on Adoption. In the 2001 Parliament, he was office holder for the All Party Groups on Adoption, EU Accession and Human Rights.

Mark Oaten contributed a chapter to the Orange Book on Tough Liberalism: A liberal approach to cutting crime.




 
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