Editing Mark Francois (section)

==Early life and career==
Mark Gino Francois was born on 14 August 1965 in [[Islington]], London to Anna (''{{nee}}'' Carloni) and Reginald Francois.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=8wIy4JnnkepBxQWr9imXJg&scan=1|title=Index entry|access-date=25 May 2020|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> His father was an engineer and his mother was an Italian [[au pair]]. The family moved to [[Basildon]] in 1971.<ref name=UKWW/><ref name=CH>{{cite web|url=https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2014/04/mark-francois-mp-raised-on-a-council-estate-and-reared-on-tales-of-churchill-why-i-am-a-conservative.html|title=Mark Francois MP: Raised on a council estate and reared on tales of Churchill. Why I am a Conservative.|website=Conservative Home|access-date=9 April 2019|last=Francois|first=Mark|date=9 April 2014 }}</ref> His secondary education was at the Nicholas Comprehensive School (now part of [[James Hornsby School]]).<ref name=UKP>{{cite web|url=http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/rayleighandwickford/|title=Rayleigh and Wickford|publisher=UK Polling Report|access-date=16 October 2019}}</ref> He studied history at the [[University of Bristol]] and graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA) in 1986.<ref name="WW 24" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bristol.ac.uk/alumni/events/diary/2012/342.html|title=Westminster drinks reception for Bristol alumni|publisher=University of Bristol|access-date=16 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016120239/https://www.bristol.ac.uk/alumni/events/diary/2012/342.html |archive-date=16 October 2019}}</ref> Francois stated that he joined the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] when he was studying in Bristol.<ref name=CH/> He went on to undertake a [[Master of Arts]] (MA) degree in war studies at [[King's College London]], graduating in 1987.<ref name="WW 24" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/warstudies/francois|publisher=King's College London|date=11 September 2012|access-date=16 October 2019|title=Alumnus appointed as Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans}}</ref>

In 1983, whilst at university, he joined the [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA), the part-time reserve force of the [[British Army]].<ref name="WW 24">{{cite web |title=Francois, Rt Hon. Mark (Gino), (born 14 Aug. 1965), PC 2010; MP (C) Rayleigh and Wickford, since 2010 (Rayleigh, 2001–10) |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U42285 |website=[[Who's Who 2024]] |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=10 July 2024 |language=en |date=1 December 2023}}</ref> Given the [[service number]] 523962, Francois was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] (on probation) on 18 December 1985.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=50446 |date=3 March 1986 |page=3091 |supp=y}}</ref> On 1 February 1988, he transferred from the general list to the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]].<ref name="LG 6 June 1988">{{London Gazette |issue= 51357 |date= 6 June 1988 |page= 6621 |supp= y }}</ref><ref name="animal">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5431750/MPs-expenses-Mark-Francois-A-bit-of-an-animal.html|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=3 June 2009|access-date=16 October 2019|last=Allen|first=Nick|title=MPs' expenses: Mark Francois – A bit of an animal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211194309/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5431750/MPs-expenses-Mark-Francois-A-bit-of-an-animal.html |archive-date=11 December 2023}}</ref> His commission was confirmed in 1988, and he was granted seniority in the rank of second lieutenant from 18 December 1983.<ref name="LG 12 December 1988">{{London Gazette |issue= 51557 |date= 12 December 1988 |page= 13975 |supp= y }}</ref> He was promoted [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 18 September 1988, with seniority in that rank from 18 December 1985.<ref name="LG 12 December 1988" /> He left the Territorial Army on 21 September 1989.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52088 |date=26 March 1990 |page=7031}}</ref>

After university, Francois became a management trainee with [[Lloyds Bank]]. He then worked as a political consultant for the [[lobbying]] company Market Access International in 1988, leaving to set up his own lobbying firm, Francois Associates, in 1996, which he closed when he was elected as an MP in 2001.<ref name=EAC>{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-archive/environmental-audit-committee/eac200701/|publisher=parliament.uk|date=22 July 2001|access-date=16 October 2019|title=EAC – back in business |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404195809/https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-archive/environmental-audit-committee/eac200701/ |archive-date=4 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="WallerCriddle2007">{{cite book|first1=Robert |last1=Waller|first2=Byron|last2=Criddle|title=The Almanac of British Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tDpzBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA769|date=7 May 2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-20676-5|page=769}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2161813.stm|website=BBC News|title=Mark Francois|date=16 October 2002|access-date=16 October 2019}}</ref>

He was a member of [[Basildon District Council]] for the [[Langdon Hills]] ward from [[1991 Basildon District Council election|1991]] to 1995. On the council, he served as vice-chair of the housing committee from 1992 to 1995.<ref name=EAC/>