Mark Spencer

Spencer was made Chief Whip on 24 July 2019 under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He was appointed to the privy council the next day.

Spencer was criticised in 2017 by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for misusing taxpayers' resources, such as the MP's newsletter, to link to "overtly party political content". Spencer apologised and a member of his staff was sent on a training course on how to appropriately use parliamentary resources.

In Parliament, Spencer has served on the Environmental Audit Committee, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and briefly on the Backbench Business Committee. He currently serves on the Selection Committee. He formerly served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Elizabeth Truss and was appointed assistant government whip on 17 July 2016, before becoming full government whip in June 2017.

As a backbench MP, Spencer chose to support the official position of the Government and campaigned for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union before the EU membership referendum on 23 June 2016. Since the result was announced, Spencer has continued to support the party leadership and now advocates leaving the European Union.

In January 2016, Spencer was one of 72 MPs who voted down an amendment in Parliament on rental homes being "fit for human habitation" who were themselves landlords who derived an income from a property.

In May 2016, it emerged that Spencer was one of a number of Conservative MPs being investigated by police in the United Kingdom general election, 2015 party spending investigation, for allegedly spending more than the legal limit on constituency election campaign expenses. However, in May 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service said that while there was evidence of inaccurate spending returns, it did not "meet the test" for further action.

The Daily Telegraph reported in August 2015 that Spencer, in a letter to a constituent, had suggested that Extremism Disruption Orders (EDOs) could be used against Christian teachers who tell schoolchildren that same-sex marriage is wrong. He wrote that whilst Christians with traditionalist views are "perfectly entitled to express their views", "The EDOs, in this case, would apply to a situation where a teacher was specifically teaching that gay marriage is wrong". Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of the Christian Institute, an evangelical pressure group, responded saying,"I am genuinely shocked that we have an MP supporting the idea of teachers being branded extremists for teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman".

Spencer attracted criticism in early 2015 after suggesting that a man with learning difficulties who had been left without food or power after being sanctioned for arriving four minutes late at the benefit office should "learn the discipline of timekeeping". The Spectator magazine criticised his response, suggesting his rush to defend government policy without showing concern for the constituent was an example of "political tribalism at its worst". Spencer said critics had "twisted what he said" but stood by his comments that "normal people doing normal jobs would get their wages docked".

He worked on environmental issues and energy security through his roles on the Environmental Audit Committee and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee . With his farming background, Spencer has also focused in Parliament on agriculture and rural communities, with an interest in ensuring that British food production is recognised and promoted as "world class". He joined the Coalfield Communities All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), whose aim is to restore the economies of former coalfield areas. Spencer was named the Brake Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Year 2011 for campaigning for improved road safety on the A614.

Another key area of focus is road safety, and Spencer regularly meets constituents to discuss local problems on roads such as speeding and road safety outside schools. In June 2011 the road safety charity brake named him Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Month.

Spencer gained the Sherwood seat from Labour at the 2010 general election with a majority of 214 after the sitting MP Paddy Tipping stood down. He was re-elected in 2015 and 2017. Following his election as an MP he stood down as a borough councillor and county councillor before the next local elections in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

In May 2001, Spencer unsuccessfully stood as a Conservative Party candidate for the Nottinghamshire County Council seat of Hucknall. However, in 2003 he gained the third seat in the safe Conservative ward of Ravenshead on Gedling District Council; he retained this seat at the local elections in 2007. In 2005, Spencer contested a different ward for the Nottinghamshire County Council elections and won the seat of Calverton for the Conservatives; he retained this seat at the local elections in 2009 with an increased majority. In 2006, Spencer was appointed Shadow Spokesman for Community Safety & Partnership for Nottinghamshire County Council.

Mark Steven Spencer (born 20 January 1970) is a British politician and farmer serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sherwood since 2010. A member of the Conservative Party, he was appointed Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019 and was involved in the September 2019 suspension of rebel Conservative MPs.

Spencer was born on 20 January 1970. He attended Lambley Primary School and the Colonel Frank Seely School in Calverton in Nottinghamshire. He then qualified at Shuttleworth Agricultural College in Bedfordshire, before joining the family farm business. A former dairy farm, the business diversified into growing potatoes and vegetables and producing free-range eggs, beef and lamb, and employing around 50 local people. Spencer was chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs from 1999–2000. Spencer was a trustee of The Royal Agricultural Society of England and for 3 years, was the Honorary Show Director of The Royal Show, and is a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society. Spencer is a past vice-Chairman of School Governors of Woodborough Woods Foundation School, where he was chairman of the Disciplinary Committee. As Chairman of the Lambley Playground Fund, he helped raise over a £100,000 to provide new play equipment in the village and he is also trustee of the Core Centre Calverton, an Adult Education Centre. Spencer is the President of Bilsthorpe Heritage Museum.