Mark Oaten
| Mark Oaten | |
|---|---|
| Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman | |
|
In office 12 June 2003 – 21 January 2006 |
|
| Leader | Charles Kennedy |
| Preceded by | Simon Hughes |
| Succeeded by | Nick Clegg |
| Chair of the Liberal Democrats | |
|
In office 7 June 2001 – 12 June 2003 |
|
| Leader | Charles Kennedy |
| Preceded by | Malcolm Bruce |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Taylor |
|
Member of Parliament for Winchester |
|
|
In office 2 May 1997 – 12 April 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Gerry Malone |
| Succeeded by | Steve Brine |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
8 March 1964 Watford, Hertfordshire, England |
| Political party |
Social Democratic Party (Before 1988) Liberal Democrats (1988–present) |
| Alma mater | University of Hertfordshire |
Mark Oaten (born 8 March 1964) is a British former politician who was a senior member of the Liberal Democrats. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Winchester from 1997 to 2010.
Born in Watford, Hertfordshire, Oaten became a councillor in local government, joining the centre-left Social Democratic Party, which merged with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democrats in 1988. He became the party's Home Affairs spokesperson in 2003. He stood for the position of Leader of the Liberal Democrats in 2006, but withdrew from the contest when he was hit by a series of scandals which also led to his resignation as Home Affairs spokesperson. He did not run for re-election to the House of Commons at the 2010 general election.
Following his retirement from active politics, Oaten published two books, before becoming executive of the International Fur Trade Federation in 2011.
Oaten was educated at Queens' School, Bushey and the University of Hertfordshire.
Before entering Parliament, Oaten had been a councillor and was employed as a lobbyist by various Westminster public affairs companies. He was leader of the SDP group on Watford Borough Council. He stood for the Watford seat at the 1992 general election and polled 10,231 votes, coming third.
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