Fiona Jones

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Fiona Elizabeth Ann Jones (née Hamilton; 27 February 1957 – 28 January 2007) was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. She was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newark in Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election.

Jones was accused of fraudulently failing to declare the full amount of her election costs, and convicted of election fraud in March 1999. She was the first MP to be disqualified from membership of the House of Commons for that offence since it was introduced by the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883. However, the Court of Appeal overturned her conviction within weeks: the disqualification was revoked, and she resumed her place in the House of Commons. However, she lost her seat in the 2001 general election. She later lost a civil case brought against the police for malicious prosecution, and ultimately succumbed to alcoholism.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Political career 3 Later life 4 Death 5 References

[edit] Early life

Jones was born in Liverpool and grew up in Fazakerley. An only child, her father, Fred Hamilton,^[1] was a production manager for a pharmaceutical company, and was a friend of Labour MP Eric Heffer.^[2] Heffer gave her a copy of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists when she was young, which inspired her to become an active socialist.^[2] She was educated at Mary Help of Christians Convent grammar school, Wirral College of Art and Preston College, and joined the Labour Party aged 17.^[3]

She became a freelance journalist; her future husband, Christopher Jones, was also a journalist, who later worked for BBC radio. The couple moved to Lincolnshire, where they were married in 1982.^[2] They had two sons together, Penri and Huw.^[4]

[edit] Political career

Jones was a Labour member of West Lindsey District Council from 1990 to 1994. She was unsuccessful as the Labour Parliamentary candidate in the Conservative stronghold of Gainsborough and Horncastle in the 1992 general election, finishing in third place, and then failed to secure the nomination for the safe Labour seats of Lincoln and Liverpool Riverside. Finally, in September 1995, she was selected to fight Newark.^[3] A typical New Labour professional, she was selected ahead of the leader of the local council, Gill Dawn, who held more traditional Old Labour view, to the consternation of a number of local party activists.^[5]

She was elected as Member of Parliament for Newark-on-Trent in the 1997 general election, ousting Conservative MP Richard Alexander, who had held the seat since the 1979 general election.^[2] She was pictured alongside 96 other women Labour MPs in the "Blair babes" photograph; she was the last to make her maiden speech, in January 1998,^[3] calling herself "the last virgin in the House".^[4][6] A Roman Catholic, Jones campaigned against abortion, and she appeared with Lord Longford at a Labour conference fringe meeting.^[4]

After complaints by the Liberal Democrats, the police launched an investigation into her spending at the 1997 election campaign. Although submitting election expenses within the permitted maximum, she was charged with her agent Des Whicher with having fraudulently omitted to declare spending which would have taken her well over it. Although most of the charges collapsed and were withdrawn by the trial Judge, a dispute over whether the rent for a campaign office used also as party headquarters was left to the Jury. The two were convicted on 19 March 1999 of "corrupt practices", contrary to section 82(6) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 ^[7] and she was sentenced to 100 hours' community service. ^[2][3] Gill Dawn, her defeated Old Labour rival for the nomination to contest the seat, had given evidence against her.^[5] As a result of the conviction, she was disqualified from the House of Commons.

However, the Court of Appeal quashed the convictions on 15 April 1999.^[8] The Divisional Court of the Queen's Bench Division held that the effect of the quashing of the conviction was that the disqualification was revoked with no need for a by-election, and she resumed her seat on 29 April.^[9]

She contested her seat in the 2001 general election, but lost to the Conservative candidate Patrick Mercer.

[edit] Later life

After studying law at Lincoln University, Jones brought a civil case against Nottinghamshire Police for malicious prosecution.^[7] The case was dismissed in December 2005, leaving her to bear costs of £45,000.^[2][3] In an interview, she claimed that a government minister had asked her for sex in return for assisting her to secure promotion.^[5]

[edit] Death

Jones became reliant on alcohol after she was shunned by her colleagues when she returned to the House of Commons in 1999^[3] - only 34 signed an early day motion welcoming her back to the House of Commons after her conviction was quashed.^[10] Her husband said that she refused to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in case she was recognised.^[5] She was found dead at her home in Saxilby by her husband, reportedly surrounded by 15 empty vodka bottles.^[3][5][11] Her cause of death was reported as alcoholism^[12] or alcoholic liver disease.^[2][3]

[edit] References

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Richard Alexander	Member of Parliament for Newark 1997–2001	Succeeded by Patrick Mercer