Laura Anne Jones (born 21 February 1979) is a Conservative politician who has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for the South Wales East electoral region since July 2020, having previously held the same seat as an Assembly Member (AM) in the National Assembly for Wales between 2003 and 2007. Jones also served as a county councillor for the Wyesham ward in Monmouthshire County Council from 2017 to 2022.[3]
Laura Anne Jones | |
|---|---|
 Jones in 2020 | |
| Shadow Minister for Culture | |
| In office 18 April 2024 – 14 June 2024[1] | |
| Leader | Andrew RT Davies |
| Preceded by | Tom Giffard |
| Shadow Minister for Education | |
| In office 27 May 2021 – 18 April 2024 | |
| Leader | Andrew RT Davies |
| Preceded by | Suzy Davies |
| Succeeded by | Tom Giffard |
| Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government | |
| In office 24 January 2021 – 29 March 2021 | |
| Leader | Andrew RT Davies |
| Preceded by | David Melding (Housing) Mark Isherwood (Local Government) |
| Succeeded by | Sam Rowlands |
| Shadow Minister for Equalities, Children and Young People | |
| In office 17 July 2020 – 29 March 2021 | |
| Leader | Paul Davies Andrew RT Davies |
| Preceded by | Janet Finch-Saunders[a] |
| Succeeded by | Altaf Hussein[b] |
| Member of the Senedd for South Wales East | |
| Assumed office 6 July 2020[2] | |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Asghar |
| In office 1 May 2003 – 3 May 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Phil Williams |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Asghar |
| Monmouthshire County Councillor for Wyesham Ward | |
| In office 5 May 2017 – 5 May 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 February 1979 Newport, Wales |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Residence(s) | Cardiff Bay, Wales |
| Alma mater | University of Plymouth |
| Website | www |
Background
editThe daughter of a farmer and a lecturer, Jones was born in Newport and brought up in Monmouthshire. She attended the University of Plymouth, where she studied politics.[4]
Political career
editShe joined the Conservatives in 1996 and was involved in Conservative Future, the party's youth wing.
In December 2002 she was banned from driving for a year and fined £75, for drunk driving.[4][5]
First Senedd period (2003-2007)
editJones contested the South Wales East list and the Caerphilly constituency at the 2003 Welsh Assembly elections. She came third in Caerphilly, with 10.1% of the vote,[6] but was elected to represent South Wales East, as the second Conservative on the list.[7] She was the youngest member of the Second Assembly, and the joint-first Welsh Conservative female AM.[8][9] She said to the BBC at the time that she was "completely shocked" to have been elected.[4] She was appointed as the Conservative spokeswoman on sport,[8][10] and sat on the Culture, Sport and Welsh Language, and Local Government and Public Services committees.
During her time as Welsh Conservative Sports Spokesperson she criticised the Welsh Government's plans to provide free summertime swimming in 2003, arguing that free swimming lessons would have been a better use of money.[11]
Her profile was increased when she appeared on the BBC television programme Question Time in February 2004.
Jones attempted to gain the nomination to replace David TC Davies as candidate for the Monmouth constituency, after Davies was elected to the UK Parliament.[12] She did not receive the seat, with Nick Ramsay, then a party staffer in the Assembly, being selected.[13] Jones lost her seat in the Assembly in the 2007 Assembly election when Plaid Cymru gained one seat in the South Wales East region at the expense of the Conservatives.
In January 2007, Jones claimed for a £1,109.94 television on her expenses.[14][15][16]
Between Senedd terms
editAt the 2015 general election she contested the safe Labour seat of Islwyn for the Conservatives and finished third with 5,366 votes.[17][18] At the 2019 general election she contested the Labour seat of Blaenau Gwent for the Conservatives and finished third with 5,749 votes.[19][20]
In the 2017 Welsh local elections she was elected to the Wyesham ward on Monmouthshire County Council winning 42% of the vote and defeating Welsh Labour's Catherine Fookes.[21] She did not contest the 2022 Monmouthshire County Council elections.[22] Her previous ward, Wyesham, elected an independent candidate.[23]
Second Senedd period (2020-)
editFollowing the death of Mohammad Asghar in June 2020, it was confirmed in July 2020 that Jones would become the MS for South Wales East, having been the next Conservative candidate on the regional list in the Assembly's 2016 election.[24][25] She was appointed as Shadow Minister for Equalities, Children and Young People by Paul Davies shortly after.[26] In January 2021, after Paul Davies stood down as leader and was replaced by Andrew RT Davies, when her role was expanded to include Housing and Local Government.[27] These roles ceased to be shadow ministries in March 2021, after Nick Ramsay stood down to contest the 2021 Senedd Elections as an independent.[28]
She was re-elected at the 2021 Senedd election. After the elections, she was appointed as Shadow Minister for Education.[29] She held this role until the April 2024 reshuffle, where she was moved to the Shadow Culture portfolio, which she held for just under 2 months.[30]
In 2021, past Facebook posts from Jones surfaced in which she said "I would like to do a spot of Chav shooting" and "a shame that isn't legal."[31] Jones apologised for the comments.
In May 2024 it was reported that Jones was being investigated by both South Wales Police and the Senedd’s Standards Commissioner for allegedly falsifying expenses claims.[32][33] In June 2024, messages were released which appeared to show Jones instructing staff to claim expenses for more petrol than she used.[33] Jones was asked to stand down from her role in Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet shortly after the release of the messages.[1] In October 2024, the investigation into this matter was re-opened, having been apparently dropped at an unknown earlier point in time.[34]
In August 2024, further messages were released that showed Jones using a racial slur, saying "No chinky spies for me!", in the context of discussion about use of the social media app TikTok within the Welsh Conservative group.[35][36][37] Her use of the term was condemned by Welsh Conservative colleague Natasha Asghar, who said she was "positively livid" and that "language like this is unacceptable at every level".[35][37]
In September 2024, former AM and Wales Secretary David T. C. Davies joined Jones' staff.[38]
References
edit- ^ a b "Laura Anne Jones: Tory MS stripped of job over expenses row". BBC News. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Laura Anne Jones MS". Welsh Parliament. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "Councillor details - County Councillor Laura Jones". democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "Tory swaps waitressing for AM job". BBC News. 4 May 2003. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Drink-drive tory to stand in election". Newsquest - This is Gwent. 23 January 2003.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2003 | Caerphilly". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2003". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Tory breaks ranks on assembly power". BBC News. 14 May 2003. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Watt, Nicholas (3 May 2003). "Women win half Welsh seats". The Guardian.
- ^ "AM leaves Tory front bench to back more Assembly powers". www.walesonline.co.uk. 14 May 2003. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ "Free summer swimming for children a first in Europe". Western Mail (later part of WalesOnline). 25 June 2003. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Livingstone, Tomos (5 October 2005). "Twist in Tory row over Assembly seat". Western Mail (later part of WalesOnline).
- ^ Shipton, Martin (15 February 2006). "Female AM overlooked as Tories select mail candidate". Western Mail. p. 6.
- ^ Davies, Daniel (12 December 2008). "TORY AMs BUY iPODS ON EXPENSES". Press Association Newswire: Wales.
- ^ Shipton, Martin (13 December 2008). "What AMs have claimed on their expenses". WalesOnline.
- ^ "AMs bought iPods with allowances". BBC News. 12 December 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "UK Parliament election results: Election for the constituency of Islwyn on 7 May 2015". UK Parliament election results. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2015. London: Times Books. 2015. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-00-812631-5.
- ^ "Blaenau Gwent parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News". Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019. London: Times Books. 2015. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1.
- ^ "Election results for Wyesham". Monmouthshire Council. May 2017. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Ex-council leader among 11 councillors stepping down". Monmouthshire Beacon. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "Election results for Wyesham, 5 May 2022". democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk. 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "New Conservative Senedd member is confirmed". BBC News. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ "Laura Anne Jones confirmed as new South East Wales MS following Mo Asghar's death". South Wales Argus. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ "Conservative Senedd leader reshuffles his Cardiff Bay team". BBC News. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Newly appointed Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies announces Shadow Cabinet". ITV News. 24 January 2021.
- ^ "Wales election: Nick Ramsay leaves Welsh Tories to stand as independent". BBC News. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Boozy MSs who drank in the Senedd after the alcohol ban came in get top roles on Welsh Tory frontbench - Wales Online". Wales Online. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Price, Emily (18 April 2024). "Welsh Conservatives reshuffle shadow cabinet". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Tory MS Laura Anne Jones sorry for old 'shooting chavs' Facebook post". BBC News. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister under investigation by police and Standards Commissioner". 17 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Laura Anne Jones: Text messages emerge in Tory expenses row". BBC News. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Gwawar, Elliw (7 October 2024). "Police reopen dropped probe into politician". BBC News.
- ^ a b "Tory politician Laura Anne Jones used racist slur in WhatsApp chat". BBC News. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ Price, Emily (9 August 2024). "Tory Senedd member speaks out on racism row". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ a b Price, Emily (8 August 2024). "Screen grab reveals racist slur by Tory MS in group chat". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "David TC Davies: Ex-Welsh secretary working for Laura Anne Jones". BBC News. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.