Mark Blackburn

My Experience

Biography

Early Years and Personal

Mark was born in 1958 and grew in Berkshire. He went to school at Bradfield College near Reading and then did a degree in Economics at the London School of Economics. Mark's career was in retail, working for small and large companies, before he opened his own chain of shoe shops which he sold in 2007. Aside from politics, Mark likes to keep fit with running, cycling and trekking. He has run several marathons, completed the Coast to Coast Walk and the Two Moors Way in Devon for charity and cycled from Bangkok to Angkor Wat for the Cambodian Red Cross. He is a member and supporter of the National Trust. He also has an addiction to older Lancia cars, but is trying to keep the miles down!

Community

Mark is married and lives in the Westminster North constituency in St John's Wood. He is an active member of the Friends of Regent's Park and Primrose Hill and is a patron of London Zoo. He is also a member of the St John's Wood Society and regularly attends the St John's Wood Forum organised by Westminster Council.

Campaigning

Before moving to St John's Wood four years ago, Mark lived in Camden, where he rejoined the Liberal Democrats after a long gap since his LSE days. While in Camden, Mark was instrumental in the campaign to save the area around Camden tube from the developers, helping to stop the destruction of Trinity Church, the Electric Ballroom and part of the market. These would have been replaced by a 16 storey office block.

Since moving to Westminster he has been Treasurer and is now Chair of the local Liberal Democrats, and he fought the Abbey Road council by-election as their candidate in May 2007. He was very involved in the campaign to stop part of Regent's Park being concreted over to provide Astroturf football pitches. He was selected as the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in January of this year.

Council Experience

Mark has been Treasurer and is now Chair of his Westminster local party.

Interests

Hiking, classic car rallies, watching football, modern art, literature.