Mark MacGregor

MacGregor was born in 1961.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/election97/candidates/1232.htm Mark MacGregor], BBC Election 97 He was educated at Emanuel School in London and Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, where he graduated with a degree in economics and modern history. In 1985, he was the national chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students (FCS), where he was associated with the libertarian faction.

In October 2002, MacGregor accepted undisclosed libel damages and a public apology at the High Court over allegations in Punch magazine. Mr Justice Eady was told that MacGregor had never been chairman or a member of the Young Monday Club as had been falsely claimed by the magazine. Mr MacGregor also successfully sued the Daily Mail for libel over similar allegations related to his period as Chairman of the FCS.[http://www.carter-ruck.com/newsletter-summer2003.pdf News section] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061217183445/http://carter-ruck.com/newsletter-summer2003.pdf |date=17 December 2006 }}, Page 4, Get Carter Ruck, June/July 2003

Worked for Michael Forsyth Ltd, and then became the founder Director of Marketforce Communications, his own PR agency and conference company.[https://web.archive.org/web/20030305151250/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/03/22/ntory122.xml The backroom boys (and girls)], Daily Telegraph, 21 March 2002 From 2007, he has been chief executive of cloud and IT service company Connect Support Services.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}

In 1997, MacGregor contested the ultra-safe Labour seat of West Ham for the Conservatives. Labour's Tony Banks got 24,531 votes (72.9%), MacGregor 5,037 (15.0).[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,,-3261,00.html Mark MacGregor, General Election 1997], The Guardian

MacGregor contested the South Thanet constituency for the first time in 2001. On that occasion Stephen Ladyman polled 18,002 votes for Labour (45.7%) while MacGregor got 16,210 for the Conservatives (41.1%).[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/577.stm Election 2001 results & constituencies], BBC News, 2001. He stood once again in the 2005 general election, when he failed by 664 votes to defeat Ladyman,[https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/news/features/election_2005/index.shtml Election 2005 results & reaction], BBC News, 6 May 2005. and BBC suggests the 2,079 votes gained by the UK Independence Party candidate, Nigel Farage, is likely to have cost MacGregor the seat.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6209386.stm UKIP leader 'offered Tory seat'], Brian Wheeler, BBC News, 5 December 2006.

MacGregor was elected Chairman of the Conservative Students in 1985-86 and Chairman of the National Association of Conservative Graduates, 1989–90.

In 2002, MacGregor was named the new chief executive of the Conservative Central Office[http://www.newstatesman.com/200203040021 IDS: rising from the ashes?], Edward Vaizey, New Statesman, 4 March 2002 appointed by Iain Duncan Smith on becoming Party leader. One of his first actions as chief executive was to push through a £1 million budget cut to stabilise the party's poor finances.

In his role, MacGregor was credited with drafting the speech for the then Chairman of the Conservative Party, Theresa May MP, which described the Tories as "the nasty party". Former front-bencher, John Bercow said MacGregor was "talented" and "extraordinarily imaginative" and had organised a successful 2002 Party conference.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2772361.stm Tories warned over modernisation], BBC News, 21 February 2003

In a dispute over the leadership of Duncan-Smith, Tebbit called for MacGregor's dismissal as the party's chief executive in 2002. Tebbit branded MacGregor as "one of the spotty youths"[https://web.archive.org/web/20080303145658/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2002/08/18/do1801.xml Duncan-Smith must sack the squabbling children], Norman Tebbit, Daily Telegraph, 18 August 2002 who were trying to make the Tories more socially inclusive. Tebbit said: "I don't think he was a good chief executive... I think that he was not a good influence in Central Office." MacGregor was replaced by the former MP, Barry Legg.[http://news.scotsman.com/politics/New-anger-at-Tory-leader.2404065.jp New anger at Tory leader], Jason Beattie, The Scotsman, 20 February 2003

Central Office was quoted as saying that MacGregor's departure was "long-planned and by mutual consent". He wanted to become a parliamentary candidate and could not do so while chief executive, but he had reportedly clashed with Smith both over policy and organisational issues as well as the vexed issue of Duncan-Smith's wife working for her husband. (See #Betsygate)

Central Office claims were undermined the following day when Michael Portillo MP (a leadership rival to Duncan-Smith), raised fresh doubts about Iain Duncan Smith's leadership of the Conservatives saying he was deeply disappointed by the replacement of Mark MacGregor. Portillo said : "Mark MacGregor and Rick Nye are two of the most talented people that the party has ever employed and their achievements will be badly missed."[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/02/15/ntory15.xml Duncan Smith appoints Right-winger party chief]{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Andrew Sparrow and David Millward, Daily Telegraph 15 February 2003 John Bercow praised MacGregor's loyalty, but also lamented the loss of his talent and creativity, adding "the modernising agenda has been at best, sidelined and at worst, lost".

MacGregor was an active member of the Thatcherite 'Conservative Way Forward' group in the 1990s though he is no longer involved in the organisation. Robbie Gibb, one-time Chief of Staff for Francis Maude and brother of Nick Gibb, was best man at MacGregor's first wedding. The two were near neighbours in Pimlico in the 1990s and have been friends since MacGregor was chairman of the Conservative Students and Gibb a leader of the Conservative Students in the mid-Eighties.[https://www.theguardian.com/Thatcher/Story/0,,192992,00.html Tory fury at 'tapas plot' over Hague], Andy McSmith, The Guardian, 23 January 2000

In the 1983 and 1987 General Elections, MacGregor worked for Michael Forsyth who was elected in the marginal seat of Stirling in Scotland. He was Francis Maude's campaign manager in the 1992 General Election. Maude would lose his marginal North Warwickshire seat, despite winning more votes than at the election before.

Staunch supporter of Michael Portillo, MacGregor was thought to be behind the decision to install extra phone lines in a house in Lord North Street in 1995, as a possible campaign HQ for Portillo when it appeared Major was on the point of being ousted by the right.

He also ran the Conservative Mayoral campaign in 2004 to elect Steve Norris as Mayor of London – Norris lost to Ken Livingstone.

In 2006, he supported David Handley in his bid for the leadership of the National Farmers Union.

Allegations which surfaced concerning the payment, out of the Parliamentary purse, of wages to Betsy Duncan Smith led to an investigation into the conduct of IDS by the House of Commons Committee on Standards and Privileges.[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmstnprv/476/476.pdf Report], House of Commons Committee of Standards and Privileges, 2003

In January 2006, the Conservatives launched an inquiry into the "Betsygate affair"[https://web.archive.org/web/20031103031643/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/13/nids113.xml Aide's email warning of risk to IDS triggered investigation], Andrew Sparrow and Benedict Brogan, Daily Telegraph 13 October 2003 and MacGregor's alleged role in it. The Sunday Telegraph revealed that the party had been re-investigating the saga surrounding payments made by the former leader, Iain Duncan Smith, to his wife, Betsy, for secretarial work in 2003. In the private report, MacGregor was cleared of any wrongdoing. MacGregor and Gearson were reinserted on the parliamentary candidates list, despite protests from the traditionalist Cornerstone Group of backbenchers,[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/26/nbetsy26.xml Cameron faces backlash over 'Betsygate' officials]{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Brendan Carlin, Daily Telegraph 26 May 2006 although he was not later reselected by the Thanet South Conservative Association, losing to Laura Sandys who later became the MP.

In 2007, MacGregor resumed his business career becoming chief executive of cloud and IT services business, Connect Support Services. In 2011, Connect purchased the assets of Hosted Revolution Ltd and in 2012 acquired Thinhost Ltd, both cloud service providers.

In 2013, he was appointed deputy director of Policy Exchange.

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Category:1961 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of Heriot-Watt University

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