Mark D'Arcy spent four years as a producer and reporter on The Westminster Hour, Radio 4's Sunday night political programme before he joined the BBC's parliamentary team.

Mark spent six years as local government correspondent for the BBC in the East Midlands, and before that was political correspondent on the Leicester Mercury, where he won an award as the UK Press Gazette's Regional Columnist of the Year.

Mark has written two books, Nightmare: the race to become London's Mayor (with Rory Maclean) and Abuse of Trust, Frank Beck and the Leicestershire child abuse scandal.

His early career included spells on local newspapers in London and as a researcher for Weekend World, London Weekend Television's now-defunct current affairs flagship.