Mark Lazarowicz MP - Biography

Mark Lazarowicz was elected as Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith in June 2001 and was reelected in May 2005, for the now expanded Edinburgh North & Leith constituency. Since his election in 2001, he has taken a keen interest in a range of issues including climate change and the environment, debt and personal finance, road safety, trade justice and international development, and the future of the European Union and the United Nations.

Mark is currently a member of two House of Commons Select Committee - the Environmental Audit Committee and the Modernisation Committee, the latter of which looks at ways of modernising the way Parliament works to bring it closer to the public.  Mark has also been appointed to serve on the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill, which examines the Bill which aims to 'rebalance power between Parliament and the Government and give Parliament more ability to hold the Government to account'.

Mark has previously served on the Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and also the special Parliamentary Committee which was appointed to look at the Draft Climate Change Bill.

Mark has the distinction of achieving legislative success with two Private Members' Bills. In 2002 Mark successfully piloted the Employee Share Schemes Bill through Parliament and in 2006 he achieved success with the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill. Mark won the prestigious PRASEG Parliamentarian of the Year Award in 2006 for his work in promoting renewable energy.

In session 2007/8, Mark worked with RSPB Scotland and other organisations on another Private Members' Bill,  the Environmental Protection (Transfers at Sea) Bill. Mark gained concessions from Government on this issue, the Department for Transport promising to introduce legislation to improve the regulation of potentially damaging ship to ship oil transfers around the UK.

Mark won the Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Year award, presented by the road safety charity Brake, in 2003 and was recognised again for his work in this areain 2004.

Mark is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Debt and Personal Finance and Vice-Chair to the APPG on Road Safety and the APPG on Debt, Trade & Aid. Mark is also a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Employee Ownership.

Mark is an active member of the Co-operative movement. Mark sits in the House of Commons as a “Labour and Co-operative MP” and is a member of the Labour & Co-operative Parliamentary Group. Mark is also a member of the Transport & General Workers' Union, of which he has been a member for 30 years. He has been a member of the Socialist Environment & Resources Association (SERA), and is an active member of its Parliamentary group. He is also a member of Friends of the Earth and the Fabian Society.

Mark has been a member of the Labour Party for more than 35 years. Mark served as a Labour Councillor on the City of Edinburgh Council from 1980 to 1996, and then from 1999 to 2001.

He was the Leader of the Council from 1986 to 1993, and was the Council's Executive Member with responsibility for transport from 1999 to 2001. 
 
During his term as Leader of the Council, he initiated Edinburgh's biggest ever programme of housing regeneration, and he also played a leading part in the development of the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and the Edinburgh Tourist Board.

As Executive member for transport, he was responsible for starting the largest programme of 20 mph zones in any Scottish council. He also successfully promoted bids for £20 million extra funding from the Scottish Executive to promote road and pavement repairs, bus route improvements including the now operational West Edinburgh busway system, and safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists.

From 1984 to 1986, he had been the first Labour Convenor of Edinburgh Council's Recreation Committee, beginning the Council's programme of new libraries and museums, sports centres, and swimming pools (including the Ainslie Park Swimming and Leisure Centre in Pilton).  
 
Mark was Labour's Parliamentary candidate in Edinburgh Pentlands in 1987 and 1992, taking Labour from third to second place in the constituency in 1987, and increasing Labour's share of the vote on both occasions.He was Chairperson of the Scottish Labour Party in 1989-1990, having served as a member of the Labour Party's Scottish Executive Committee from 1980.
   
Mark was a member of the Executive Committee of the Scottish Constitutional Convention. As such, he helped draw up the Convention's proposals for a Scottish Parliament, which were largely reflected in the eventual Scotland Act which set up the Parliament. He has always been a strong supporter of a Scottish Parliament, and has written widely on Scottish political and legal issues. In 1999, he jointly (with Jean McFadden) wrote The Scottish Parliament: An Introduction. This has been republished in revised 2nd and 3rd editions since 1999. 

Mark lives with his family in the heart of Edinburgh North & Leith Constituency, and is an active member of a wide range of community organisations in his constituency.

Prior to being elected as an MP, Mark worked as an Advocate at the Scottish Bar. He is a graduate of the Universities of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.