| Susan Elan Jones MP |
|
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Clwyd South |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Martyn Jones |
| Majority | 2,834 (8.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 June 1968 |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Website | Official Website |
Susan Elan Jones (born 1 June 1968) is a British Labour Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, replacing the previous Labour MP Martyn Jones on his retirement.[2]
Jones comes from Ponciau near Rhosllannerchrugog and studied at Bristol University and Cardiff University. She worked as a fundraiser for charities for 15 years before becoming an MP. [3]
In the 1997 general election, Jones stood for Labour in Surrey Heath,[4] coming third. From 2006 to 2009 she was a councillor in the London Borough of Southwark and was deputy leader of the opposition from 2007 to 2009.[4]
Jones is fluent in Welsh, and took her Parliamentary Oath of Allegiance in Welsh. She has actively supported Welsh language issues, writing in one article: "I would contend that for a Labour supporter being actively pro Welsh language is a natural part of our DNA, as much as supporting public services, tackling low pay or taking on any other equalities cause"[5].
When making her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 9 June 2010 Jones spoke of the historic discrimination faced by speakers of the Welsh language. In her speech, she compared the ordinary people who campaigned for the Welsh language at times when it had not been fashionable to do so as civil rights activists "in the mould of Mrs Rosa Parks".[6]
She has since spoken in the House of Commons on Welsh language issues, including on the Welsh television channel S4C [7], and published articles on the subject [8].
Jones has also campaigned on military issues, and used her first appearance at Prime Minister's Questions to support the Royal British Legion's campaign abolition of the Chief Coroner's office, which they argued would improve investigations into military deaths[9]. David Cameron reversed his decision two weeks later and announced that the service would not be scrapped [10].
She has frequently backed various local business interests in parliamentary debates, including solar panel businesses concerned about cuts to subsidies for domestic solar panels[11], and wood panelling businesses [12] which employ many people in her Clwyd South constituency.
Jones has strongly advocated the publication of all MPs' expenses and publishes her own expense claims on her website each month.[13]
From October 2010 - October 2011 Jones served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Harriet Harman MP, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, in her role as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.
In the October 2011 reshuffle she was appointed to the Labour front bench as a Whip[14].
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/comment/newsid_8734000/8734105.stm
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Martyn Jones |
Member of Parliament for Clwyd South 2010–present |
Incumbent |