Mark Pritchard MP

"You are not fucking royalty, Mr Speaker!" 

Pritchard was brought up and educated in Herefordshire. He remarked on BBC Radio 4 that he comes from an "unorthodox background" for a Conservative Member of Parliament. For the first five years of his life he was brought up in an orphanage in Hereford, and later grew up in foster care living in a council house. He told his local newspaper that his early years were years of "love and warmth" and that he did not have "a single bad memory" of his time in the orphanage.

Pritchard is a member of the UK's Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy. He is a member of the UK delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (Army). He has visited Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pritchard was appointed to the post of Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party's International Office in 2010 but resigned in January 2012 over policy differences on: "a lack of national and individual aspiration, immigration, and Europe."[23] What some commentators called – "the Holy Trinity of the Conservative right".[24]

Regarded as right of centre, Pritchard nonetheless was one of the first advocates of compassionate conservatism in the United Kingdom and has vocally supported the coalition government's policy of increased spending on international aid.[25] He believes in tougher sentences for criminals – but has also supported the coalition government's efforts to increase the number of treatment and rehabilitation centres. He is on record as saying he would not support the restoration of the death penalty.

In 2011, he was named as one of London's 1000 most influential people by the London Evening Standard.[26]

He is the Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Parliamentary Foreign Affairs & Defence Committee. He formerly served as 'backbench support' to William Hague and to Dr Liam Fox, the former British Defence Secretary, whilst in opposition. UK newspapers reported that Pritchard was to be offered the position of Parliamentary Private Secretary to Dr Liam Fox, but the appointment was vetoed by David Cameron. Pritchard was one of the most vocal supporters of Cameron leadership rival, David Davis MP.

In June 2011 he successfully moved a motion to ban wild animals in circuses. In the House of Commons he stated that he had been placed under pressure by the Prime Minister to withdraw the motion, first by being offered a job, and then by being threatened.

Pritchard has been nominated for numerous animal welfare awards including the Dods Charity Champion Award for Animal Welfare.

Pritchard expressed concerns over rumours that the coalition government was planning to field coalition candidates in the next general election, branding those responsible as "The Purple Plotters".

In July 2013, Mark Pritchard announced that he was divorcing his wife of 15 years, Sondra, following their separation in April 2013.