Mark Hendrick
MP
Member of Parliament
for Preston
Assumed office
24 November 2000
Preceded by Audrey Wise
Majority 15,723 (44.2%)
Member of the European Parliament for Lancashire Central
In office
9 June 1994 – 10 June 1999
Salford City Councillor for Weste & Seedley ward
In office
7 May 1987 – 9 June 1994
Personal details
Born (1958-11-02) 2 November 1958 (age 65)
Website www.prestonmp.co.uk


Sir Mark Phillip Hendrick (born 2 November 1958) Since the 2000 Preston by-election, at which he retained the seat for his party, Hendrick has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency. He is a member of the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCEPA). Hendrick previously represented the Central Lancashire seat as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1994–1999.

Political career

Local government and European Parliament

From 1984 to 1994, Hendrick was the secretary of the Salford Co-operative Party. He was elected a councillor to the City of Salford Council in 1987, and served in this capacity for eight years. He was also the Chairman of the Eccles Constituency Labour Party from 1990 to 1994. During the 1994 European Parliament Election, Hendrick was elected for the Central Lancashire seat. He served for five years until losing an election bid at the 1999 European Parliament Election, which was run on a regional PR list system.

House of Commons

Hendrick was elected to the House of Commons at the Preston by-election, 2000 after the sitting Labour MP Audrey Wise had died. He retained the seat with a majority of 4,426. Hendrick was re-elected at the 2001 general election, the 2005 general election, the 2010 general election and the 2015 general election.

In Parliament, Hendrick was a member of the European Scrutiny Select Committee for three years from 2001. He served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2003–2006); Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett (2006–2007); Lord High Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw (2007–2008); Ivan Lewis, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (2009–2010). Hendrick also served on the International Development Committee from 2009 to 2010.

In 2002, Hendrick successfully campaigned for and achieved free access for the public to the National Football Museum in Preston. He campaigned for City Status for Preston, which was successful and awarded to Preston in the Queen's Golden Jubilee Awards in 2002.

In 2003 Hendrick voted for the invasion of Iraq, and in hindsight ten years later believed that had been the correct decision.

From November 2010 to the summer of 2012, Hendrick was appointed to the front bench by Labour Leader Edward Miliband as an Opposition Assistant Whip. Returning to the backbenches, he was later appointed to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee from June 2012 to June 2017.

Hendrick was Chairman of the All-party parliamentary group (APPG) for China from 2010 to 2012, and is currently a vice-chair. Additionally, he is a vice-chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Somaliland and Somalia, which promotes understanding of the democracy building process in various parts of Somalia, including its northwestern Somaliland region. Hendrick is likewise the Treasurer for the All-Party Parliamentary British-German Group. He is also a member of the UK delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCEPA).