Mark Eastwood is the Conservative MP for Dewsbury, having first been elected to Parliament in 2019, gaining the seat from Labour with a majority of 1,561.
The Dewsbury constituency is found in the south of West Yorkshire and covers the towns of Dewsbury, Mirfield and the surrounding rural villages of Kirkburton and Denby Dale. There is a large Muslim community in this constituency. Once the centre of the textiles industry, this had historically been a Labour seat represented by the Labour Cabinet Minister, Ann Taylor. Now a swing marginal, it was gained by the Conservative Party in 2010, falling back to Labour in 2015, and then being won by the Conservatives in 2019.
Born in 1971, Mark Eastwood was educated at Batley Boys High School. Having left school at 17, he started in insurance, before working for a company providing medical furniture and equipment to the NHS. He is a member of the Prospect trade union.
Eastwood supported Leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum. On the moderate wing of the Conservative Party, he describes himself as a social liberal.
Mark Eastwood is the co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. He is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Football, and the Furniture industry.
Eastwood supports the Leeds United football team.
Website – www.markeastwood.org.uk
Email – mark.eastwood.mp@parliament.uk
