Ruth Jones | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Chair of theWelsh Affairs Select Committee | |
| Assumed office 9 September 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen Crabb |
| Shadow Minister for the Environment | |
| In office 12 August 2020 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Russell-Moyle |
| Succeeded by | Robbie Moore |
| Shadow Minister for Flooding & Coastal Communities | |
| In office 15 January 2020 – 9 April 2020 | |
| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Luke Pollard |
| Succeeded by | Stephanie Peacock |
| Member of Parliament forNewport West and Islwyn Newport West (2019–2024) | |
| Assumed office 4 April 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Flynn |
| Majority | 8,868 (21.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1962-04-23)23 April 1962 (age 63) |
| Political party | Labour |
| Education | Cardiff University |
| Profession | Physiotherapist Politician |
| Website | Official website |
Ruth Lorraine Jones (born 23 April 1962[1]) is aBritishLabour Party politician who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forNewport West and Islwyn since2024. Before the 2024 constituency boundary change, she had been the MP forNewport West since winning the seat at aby-election in April 2019.
Jones was educated atDuffryn High School in Newport.[2] After training atCardiff University,[3] she worked as aphysiotherapist in theNational Health Service from 1983, eventually managing children and adult learning disability services for theAneurin Bevan University Health Board.[4][5]
Jones became involved with the professional body and trade unionChartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) as a steward, a regional steward, then a member of the CSP Council. In 2007 she was elected president of theWales TUC for two years. In 2016 she became a full-time senior negotiating officer for the CSP.[5][6]
Jones joined Labour "whenTony Blair was leader",[7] has "declared herself a socialist",[7] but regardingJeremy Corbyn acknowledges that there are "strong views for him and strong views against him."[8] She describes herself however as neither a member of the BlairiteProgressive Britain nor the CorbyniteMomentum group.[8]
She contestedMonmouth for Labour at the2015 and2017 general elections.[6]
Jones was placed first on theparty list inSouth East Wales at the2016 National Assembly election. As Labour won 7 out of the 8single member constituencies, Labour was not entitled to any extra seats from theAdditional Member list, and Jones was not elected.[9]
Jones voted to Remain in the2016 referendum.[8] She argued following the referendum for the Prime Minister to seek a cross-party "consensus" on leaving the European Union,[8] but said she was opposed to a "damaging Tory Brexit or a no deal outcome".[8] She said that if "Parliament [is unable] to achieve a sensible Brexit", she would support a People's Vote.[8]
Jones was nominated as Labour's Parliamentary candidate for a third time, on this occasion forNewport West in January 2019[10] and was elected as an MP in April 2019 in theNewport West by-election, which had been caused by the death of the sitting Labour MP,Paul Flynn.[11] On a relatively low turnout of 37.1%, Jones took 39.6% (9,308) of the vote, although the Labour majority dropped from 5,658 (in 2017) to 1,951.[12] She was officially sworn in and took her seat in theHouse of Commons on 8 April 2019,[13] and made her maiden speech on 1 May 2019 in a debate onclimate change.[14] Her constituency office at The Estates Office on Gold Tops was opened in June.[15]
Jones stated in 2019 that she supported the now-cancelledM4 relief road to relievetraffic congestion on theM4 motorway.[8]
Jones became a member of theEnvironmental Audit Select Committee in May 2019.[16] She has signed the Long Live the Local pledge to reduce beer duty and business rates.[17]
In August 2019 Jones joined 100 other MPs in calling for Prime MinisterBoris Johnson to recall Parliament from the Summer Recess,[18] and was one of 148 Labour MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister demanding he reverse the decision to prorogue Parliament in October for a Queen's Speech prior to the 31 October Brexit date.[19] She voted in favour of theBenn Act, aimed at requiring an extension to Article 50 at the end of October to prevent a no deal exit on 31 October.[20][better source needed]
Jones was re-elected in the2019 United Kingdom general election on a slim majority of 2.1%. She was appointed to Labour's shadowDefra team, first as Shadow Minister for Flooding and Coastal Communities under Corbyn, and later as Shadow Minister for Natural Environment and Air Quality underKeir Starmer. She had been serving asPPS to Shadow Northern Ireland SecretaryLouise Haigh at the time of her promotion.[21]
On 9 September 2024, she was elected unopposed as Chair of theWelsh Affairs Select Committee.[22]
In January 2022, Jones and four other Labour delegates to theParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe tabled ten amendments[23] to Resolution 2417, "Combating rising hate against LGBTI people in Europe".[24] The amendments sought to include the word "sex" alongside gender identity, de-conflate the situation in the UK from Hungary, Poland, Russia and Turkey, and remove references to alleged anti-LGBTI movements in the UK. The delegates received both praise[25][better source needed] and criticism.[26][27]
Jones is married with two adult children,[8] both of whom studied at Glasllwch Primary School where she is a School Governor.[8] She lives inAllt-yr-yn with her husband. She volunteers at a local night shelter scheme as well as being a member of a choir.[8]
| Trade union offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Burgham | President of theWales TUC 2007–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNewport West 2019–present | Incumbent |
