Mark Reckless

Last updated

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]

Reckless was the Abolish candidate for Monmouth at the 2021 Senedd election, taking 1,173 votes (3.3%). [55] [56] He notably came behind the Conservative-turned-independent MS Nick Ramsay, who was also unsuccessful in his re-election bid. [57] Additionally, Reckless was the lead Abolish candidate in South Wales East, with the party receiving 9,995 list votes (4.8%), and no seats. [58] [59]

Post-Senedd

In November 2024, Reckless appeared at Reform UK's Wales conference as a speaker and member of the party. [1] He was later confirmed by Caroline Jones, also of Reform Wales, to be working on Reform's policies for Wales at the 2026 election. [60]

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 [61]
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
Majority 7,13313.6
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 [62] [63]
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
Majority 2,9207.3
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. [64]

General election 2010: Rochester and Strood [65]
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
Majority 9,95320.7
Turnout 47,97164.9+2.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.8
Medway 2005
General election 2005: Medway [66]
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
Majority 2130.5
Turnout 41,09361.11.6
Labour hold Swing -4.6
Medway 2001
General election 2001: Medway [67]
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
Majority 3,7809.8
Turnout 38,61059.5−12.8
Labour hold Swing

See also

References

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Rochester and Strood

20102015
Succeeded by
Senedd
Preceded by Member of the Senedd
for South Wales East

20162021
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Economics Spokesman
of the UK Independence Party

2015–2017
Succeeded by