The Rt Hon Mark Harper
Biography
Mark Harper was Secretary of State for Transport between 25 October 2022 and 5 July 2024.
Previously, he served as Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury) from May 2015 until 14 July 2016. Previously Mark served as Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform from May 2010 until September 2012. He served as Minister for Immigration from September 2012 until February 2014 and as Minister for Disabled People from July 2014 until May 2015.
He was the Conservative MP for the Forest of Dean from 2005 to 2024.
Education
Mark was educated at Headlands school, Swindon, and Swindon College, before studying philosophy, politics and economics at Brasenose College, Oxford.
Political career
Mark was elected as an MP in May 2005. In December 2005, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Defence and in July 2007 he became Shadow Minister for Disabled People. Following the formation of the coalition government in 2010, Mark was appointed Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform. He was appointed Minister for Immigration in September 2012.
Career outside politics
Mark qualified as a chartered accountant with the professional services network, KPMG, in 1995. Until 2002 he worked for Intel Corporation in a variety of fields, including finance, business operations and marketing, before establishing his own chartered accountancy business in the Forest of Dean.