Mark Christopher Croucher (born 13 March 1966, Greenwich, Connecticut, US), is a freelance journalist and political consultant particularly associated with the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
His father Peter John Croucher was an engineer, and his mother Mary Florence (née Dunn) was a legal secretary.
Working mainly for Dutch shipping companies,[1] he volunteered for service in the First Gulf War and served on an ammunition transport as a Chief Radio Officer.
In 2001, he was employed by UKIP as its sole press officer and de facto Director of Communications, with him adopting the formal title in 2002 under new leader Roger Knapman as the party expanded.
By focussing on large set-piece events with a central theme, and by carefully deploying high-profile candidates (including Robert Kilroy-Silk) and supporters, he generated significant media interest in the campaign,[4] which represented a break from previous UKIP efforts.
Throughout this period he worked closely with Clive Page (at that time a consultant, and later deputy director of communications), with external advice from PR guru Max Clifford,[5] who had declared his support for UKIP early in the campaign.