Mark Beech
Encyclopedia
Mark Beech is an unemployed career politician nominally affiliated with the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
, he has also represented the Labour
party and as an independent campaigner.
, where he had an early involvement with politics within the student council, successfully winning an election to the position of Non-Sabbatical Officer for Welsh Affairs. Beech abstained from voting in the election due to prior commitments but succeeded in gaining the position, becoming the first English person ever to hold the office.
Beech clashed with other members of the student council, particularly on the issue of student fees, resulting in Beech ultimately chosing to resign his post. This followed six months clashes with the editor of the student newspaper over his use of English as opposed to Welsh, both official languages in Wales.
Beech also held officer positions in the university debating society, breaking to the final of the John Smith Memorial Welsh Mace, with his team coming in the top 5 at the Glamorgan IV.
Beech represented the Labour Party against the Liberal Democrats
and Socialist Students
in September 2005, at a rock climbing
completion held during the fresher’s faire, he finished in second place, about 3 feet behind the Lib-Dem
editor of the student newspaper.
Beech left the Labour party in 2006, and did nothing important for another three years.
In 2008 Beech ran another unsuccessful campaign, this time calling for an end to unicameralism in Wales. This campaign failed to gather popular support for a variety of issues but did succeed in proving Lord Foulkes of Cumnock wrong.
In 2009 Beech started campaigning for the restoration of Stonehenge
back to Wales, his campaigning on this issue was curtailed by the General Election and subsequent change of government. Beech as continued to campaign on this issue, bringing it into his National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
manifesto.
In December 2010 Beech registered as an independent campaigner for the Welsh Assembly devolution referendum, to be held on 3 March 2011, as part of the No campaign, described as fragmented by the press. It is believed Beech campaigned for a No vote, due to his earlier stated abhorrence of unicameralism.
on what was going to be done to tackle the banks in solvent abuse.
, an increase in the number of female teachers and opposing the destruction of Bute park. Beech was widely criticised for being too sensible and not entertaining enough.
and for the introduction of bumper cars as a safe, fun and convenient form of public transport. Beech broke the Official Monster Raving Loony Party record for the lowest ever number of votes after polling just 1 vote.
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
, he has also represented the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
party and as an independent campaigner.
University Politics
Beech studied law at the University of GlamorganUniversity of Glamorgan
The University of Glamorgan is a university based in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales with campuses in Treforest, Glyntaff, Merthyr Tydfil, Tyn y Wern and Cardiff...
, where he had an early involvement with politics within the student council, successfully winning an election to the position of Non-Sabbatical Officer for Welsh Affairs. Beech abstained from voting in the election due to prior commitments but succeeded in gaining the position, becoming the first English person ever to hold the office.
Beech clashed with other members of the student council, particularly on the issue of student fees, resulting in Beech ultimately chosing to resign his post. This followed six months clashes with the editor of the student newspaper over his use of English as opposed to Welsh, both official languages in Wales.
Beech also held officer positions in the university debating society, breaking to the final of the John Smith Memorial Welsh Mace, with his team coming in the top 5 at the Glamorgan IV.
Labour Politics
Also whilst at Glamorgan a clerical error resulted in Beech becoming a member of the Labour Party in late 2004. On June 17, 2005 he became the Chair of the Treforest Branch Labour Party.Beech represented the Labour Party against the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
and Socialist Students
Socialist Students
Socialist Students is a socialist organisation with branches in universities, further education colleges and sixth form colleges in the United Kingdom....
in September 2005, at a rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
completion held during the fresher’s faire, he finished in second place, about 3 feet behind the Lib-Dem
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
editor of the student newspaper.
Beech left the Labour party in 2006, and did nothing important for another three years.
Independent Action
In 2007 Beech ran an unsuccessful campaign calling upon the then government “to give Mark William Beech a knighthood, for his services to trying to get himself a knighthood.” despite having several supporters by this time the government were not willing to acknowledge the request.In 2008 Beech ran another unsuccessful campaign, this time calling for an end to unicameralism in Wales. This campaign failed to gather popular support for a variety of issues but did succeed in proving Lord Foulkes of Cumnock wrong.
In 2009 Beech started campaigning for the restoration of Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
back to Wales, his campaigning on this issue was curtailed by the General Election and subsequent change of government. Beech as continued to campaign on this issue, bringing it into his National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 was the most recent election for the National Assembly. The poll was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 and decided the incumbency for all the assembly's seats...
manifesto.
In December 2010 Beech registered as an independent campaigner for the Welsh Assembly devolution referendum, to be held on 3 March 2011, as part of the No campaign, described as fragmented by the press. It is believed Beech campaigned for a No vote, due to his earlier stated abhorrence of unicameralism.
Loony Political Failures
Beech joined the Official Monster Raving Loony Party at their conference in 2009. In his seminal conference speech he put forward he called upon his comrades to consider the importance of Peas in the Middle East, asserting that the Israeli-Palestine conflict is due the land being Holy and put forward the case for supplying both sides with peas that they could been use to fill the holes, which would ultimately result in a peas-full middle east. He also questioned the leader of the party Howling Laud HopeHowling Laud Hope
Alan "Howling Laud" Hope is the Leader of the United Kingdom's Official Monster Raving Loony Party . In 1999, following the death of the party's founder, Screaming Lord Sutch, Hope and his pet cat, Cat Mandu, were jointly elected as leaders of the OMRLP...
on what was going to be done to tackle the banks in solvent abuse.
Pontypridd Town By-Election
Beech contested the Pontypridd Town By-election on 18 February 2010, where he gained 30 votes out of the 514 cast. Many in the local Labour party consider Beech’s presence in this election to have cost them victory even though they were beaten by Julie Richards and Stephen Farr in the town council elections two years earlier and also beaten by Mr Farr in the county borough elections of the same year (2008). Beech campaigned in the election on a platform of increasing taxes, banning umbrellas and cloning dinosaurs.Cardiff Central – General Election
In May 2010 Beech became the first member of his family to stand for the UK Parliament, in the seat of Cardiff Central. In an interview with Hannah Waldram of the Guardian, he said: "Contrary to the view presented in the media, this election is not to elect a government; but to elect someone to represent you and your community. If you want a representative free from the shackles of cartel politics, free to practise common sense, the sane option is to vote Loony.". Beech finished in 8th place, just 20 votes behind the Trade Unionist Coalition Candidate. Beech had been campaigning on changing the plural of euro to euros to create more work at the Royal MintRoyal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
, an increase in the number of female teachers and opposing the destruction of Bute park. Beech was widely criticised for being too sensible and not entertaining enough.
Ilan By-Election
Beech contested the Ilan By-Election on 22 July 2010, he campaigned once again for higher taxes, a promise to be tough on Cliff RichardCliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
and for the introduction of bumper cars as a safe, fun and convenient form of public transport. Beech broke the Official Monster Raving Loony Party record for the lowest ever number of votes after polling just 1 vote.