Mark Reckless

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On 27 September 2014, Reckless defected to the UK Independence Party at its party conference in Doncaster, and announced his resignation in order to seek re-election at a by-election. [43] He became the second Conservative MP in the space of a month to defect to UKIP, the first being his close friend Douglas Carswell. In a speech delivered to the conference, Reckless claimed that the Conservative leadership was 'not serious about real change on Europe', and that 'Britain could be better'. [43]

Although he won the by-election on 20 November 2014 as a UKIP candidate, in the 2015 general election Reckless lost his seat to the Conservative candidate, Kelly Tolhurst.

In June 2015, Reckless was made Director of Policy Development by UKIP.

Member of the Senedd

In March 2016, Reckless was announced as UKIP's lead candidate for the regional seat of South Wales East despite having no previous links to Wales. [44] He was elected on 5 May 2016.

On 6 April 2017, Reckless left UKIP to join the Conservative Group; however, he did not rejoin the Conservative Party. This move made the Conservative group the second-largest in the Welsh Assembly. Upon leaving, he said, "I leave UKIP positively, having achieved our joint aim, a successful referendum to leave the EU". [45] [46] [47] [48] [49]

On 14 April 2019, Reckless left the Conservative Group over the party's failure to deliver Brexit. He then sat as an independent member [50] before joining the Brexit Party the following month. [2]

On 15 May 2019, Reckless stated his intention to form a new Brexit Party political group in the Senedd, along with Caroline Jones, Mandy Jones, and David Rowlands, with himself as the leader of the group. [2] In July 2020, he attracted criticism from pro-devolution Brexit Party volunteers when he stated that he would support the campaign to abolish the Senedd. [51] He then left the party and joined the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party. [52] He said, since Brexit had been effectively achieved, the work of the Brexit Party was complete. [53] Two weeks later, the Brexit Party was rebranded as Reform UK. [54]

At the 2021 Senedd election, Reckless was the Abolish the Welsh Assembly candidate in Monmouth, where he came seventh, with 1,174 votes (3.3%). He was also his party's lead candidate on the South Wales East list, but was not elected.

Post-Senedd

In November 2024, Reckless appeared at Reform UK's Wales conference as a speaker and member of the party. [1]

Timeline

Reform UKAbolish the Welsh Assembly PartyBrexit PartyWelsh ConservativesUKIPConservative Party (UK)Mark Reckless

Electoral history

Rochester and Strood, 2015

Mark Reckless
Mark Reckless AM (27889492560).jpg
Reckless in 2016
Leader of the Brexit Party in Wales
In office
15 May 2019 –19 October 2020
General election 2015: Rochester and Strood [55]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Kelly Tolhurst 23,142 44.1 −5.1
UKIP Mark Reckless16,00930.5N/A
Labour Naushabah Khan10,39619.8−8.7
Green Clive Gregory1,5162.9+1.4
Liberal Democrats Prue Bray1,2512.4−13.9
TUSC Dan Burn2020.4+0.4
Majority7,13313.6
Turnout 52,51666.5
Conservative gain from UKIP Swing -17.8
Rochester and Strood 2014

See 2014 Rochester and Strood by-election

Rochester and Strood by-election, 20 November 2014 [56] [57]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UKIP Mark Reckless 16,867 42.1 N/A
Conservative Kelly Tolhurst 13,94734.8−14.4
Labour Naushabah Khan6,71316.8−11.7
Green Clive Gregory1,6924.2+2.7
Liberal Democrats Geoff Juby3490.9−15.5
Monster Raving Loony Hairy Knorm Davidson1510.4N/A
Independent Stephen Goldsborough690.2N/A
People Before Profit Nick Long690.2N/A
Britain First Jayda Fransen 560.1N/A
Independent Mike Barker540.1N/A
Independent Charlotte Rose430.1N/A
Patriotic Socialist PartyDave Osborn330.1N/A
Independent Christopher Challis220.1N/A
Majority2,9207.3
Turnout 40,06550.6−14.3
UKIP gain from Conservative Swing 28.3%
Rochester and Strood 2010

The Rochester and Strood seat was fought for the first time at the 2010 general election. Following its boundary review of parliamentary representation in Kent, the Boundary Commission for England renamed the Medway (UK Parliament constituency) seat to Rochester and Strood. This is because the commission agreed that the term Medway is now primarily used for the larger unitary authority. [58]

General election 2010: Rochester and Strood [59]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Reckless 23,604 49.2 +6.6
Labour Teresa Murray13,65128.5−13.1
Liberal Democrats Geoff Juby7,80016.3+3.9
English Democrat Ron Sands2,1824.5N/A
Green Simon Marchant7341.5N/A
Majority9,95320.7
Turnout 47,97164.9+2.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.8
Medway 2005
General election 2005: Medway [60]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bob Marshall-Andrews 17,333 42.2 −6.8
Conservative Mark Reckless17,12041.7+2.5
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Juby5,15212.5+3.2
UKIP Bob Oakley1,4883.6+1.1
Majority2130.5
Turnout 41,09361.11.6
Labour hold Swing -4.6
Medway 2001
General election 2001: Medway [61]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bob Marshall-Andrews 18,914 49.0 +0.1
Conservative Mark Reckless15,13439.2+2.3
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Juby3,6049.3−0.8
UKIP Nikki Sinclaire 9582.5+1.6
Majority3,7809.8
Turnout 38,61059.5−12.8
Labour hold Swing

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Molaski, Ruth (10 November 2024). "A day inside the Reform UK machine set to be a political force in Wales whether you like it or not". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Assembly members join forces with Farage". 15 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  3. ↑ "Welsh Parliament election 2021". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Reckless, Mark (5 December 2010). "Over a third of Irish want to leave the Euro for Pound". markreckless.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010.
  5. ↑ Audley, Fiona (20 November 2014). "UKIP's Mark Reckless on the party's Irish policy". Irish Post. Archived from the original on 24 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "John Evelyn: Barking". Cherwell . Vol. 199, no. 1. 11 January 1991. p. 11.
  7. ↑ Columbia Spectator, 1 October 2014
  8. ↑ Mark Reckless: Government borrowing is preventing private lending ConservativeHome 28 November 2008.
  9. ↑ Mark Reckless MP Your Local Guardian 26 September 2012.
  10. ↑ Solicitors stand as MP Archived 1 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine The Law Society Gazette 29 April 2012.
  11. ↑ Home-Affairs-Committee-Formal-Minutes Tuesday 15 May 2012
  12. ↑ Nolan, Jaye (3 October 2011). "Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless weds Catriona Brown at Westminster Cathedral". Rochester People. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  13. ↑ Boyle, Danny (3 October 2011). "MP ties knot at Westminster Cathedral". KentOnline. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Hannan, Daniel (28 July 2008). "Mark Reckless: The best kind of MP". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 July 2009.
  15. ↑ Hunter, Chris. "Strood South Cllr Catriona Brown-Reckless resigns". Kent Online. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  16. ↑ Shipton, Martin. "Former Brexit Party Leader in Wales advocates for social insurance system to pay for health care" . Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "VOTE 2001 - Medway". BBC News . Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  18. ↑ Bremner, Charles (9 April 2001). "'England for the English'" . The Times (UK)– via Nexis.
  19. ↑ Sylvester, Rachel (29 March 2001). "Anger over Tory's refugee claim" . The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 12 November 2024– via Nexis.
  20. ↑ Reckless, Mark (2004). The Drivers of Regulation. Conservative Policy Unit. ISBN   978-0-9544917-7-2.
  21. ↑ Reckless, Mark (27 May 2012). "Mark Reckless MP: Police and Crime Commissioners are one of the great reforms of this Conservative-led government". ConservativeHome. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024.
  22. ↑ "A select few" . The Guardian . 16 September 2002. p. 3. Retrieved 12 November 2024– via Nexis.
  23. ↑ "'Beaten' Labour MP keeps his seat". BBC News . 6 May 2005. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  24. ↑ "Councillor details – Councillor Mark Reckless". democracy.medway.gov.uk. 20 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  25. ↑ LIST OF MEMBERS RETURNED TO SERVE IN PARLIAMENT AT THE GENERAL ELECTION 2010. The London Gazette, 13 May 2010
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  30. ↑ Mark Reckless (20 April 2012). Mark Reckless: Deport Abu Qatada now! - Recording of BBC Newsnight . Retrieved 12 November 2024– via YouTube.
  31. ↑ "Order, order! Why the newest Tories are a major headache for Cameron". The Independent. 30 December 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
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  39. ↑ Beckford, Martin (21 June 2012). "European Court of Human Rights 'gets out begging bowl'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
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  43. 1 2 "Mark Reckless defects to UKIP from Tories". BBC News. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  44. ↑ "Mark Reckless's political journey from UKIP back to Tory fold". BBC News. 17 September 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
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  47. ↑ "Mark Reckless quits Ukip to rejoin Conservatives". ITV News. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
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  54. ↑ "Reform UK: Brexit party to rebrand as anti-lockdown voice". the Guardian. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
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  58. ↑ Fifth Periodical Report, Volume I: Report, Cm 7032-i (PDF). London: The Stationery Office. 2007. p. 347. ISBN   978-0-10-170322-2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  59. ↑ "Rochester & Strood". BBC News . 7 May 2010.
  60. ↑ "UK General Election results May 2005". Political Science Resources. University of Keele. 11 March 2008. Archived from the original on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  61. ↑ "Medway". Political Science Resources. University of Keele. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Rochester and Strood
2010–2015 		Succeeded by
Senedd
Preceded by Member of the Senedd
for South Wales East
2016 –2021 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Economics Spokesman
of the UK Independence Party
2015–2017		Succeeded by
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