Mark is standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Central and Gover. 

He is the eldest of five siblings and was the first in his family to go to university, where he studied English and History. 

After training as a nurse, Mark became a social worker, working specifically with people with learning disabilities. This led to him starting his own business supporting people to live in their own homes and, ultimately, when he sold the business, it employed around 25 people. Mark is a member of St Austell Town Council which he represents on the White River Working Group seeking to improve the river’s quality and access. 

Mark lives near the centre of town with his husband, a teacher, to whom he has been married for almost twenty years. "We love walking our dogs" says Mark; "our favourite spots are the White River at Kingswood and on Par beach".

Although not a gardener, Mark cares about the environment and wildlife. He also has a love of theatre and recently became chair of the trustees at St Austell Arts Centre. Mark has always felt it is important to be involved in the life of the community in which he lives, something inspired in him by his mum, who was heavily involved in village life as he was growing up.