Jonathan Evans (politician)

Jonathan Evans
FRSA
Member of Parliament
for Cardiff North
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by Julie Morgan
Majority 194 (0.4%)
Member of European Parliament
for Wales
In office
10 June 1999 – 4 June 2009
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Kay Swinburne
Under-Secretary of State for Wales
In office
2 June 1996[1] – 1 May 1997
Preceded by Rod Richards
Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
In office
25 October 1994 – 29 November 1995
Preceded by Neil Hamilton
Succeeded by John Mark Taylor
Member of Parliament
for Brecon and Radnorshire
In office
9 April 1992 – 1 May 1997
Preceded by Richard Livsey
Succeeded by Richard Livsey
Personal details
Born 2 June 1950
Tredegar, Monmouthshire
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Margaret
Children 3
Profession Solicitor
Religion Roman Catholic
Website jonathanevans.org.uk

Jonathan Peter Evans FRSA (born 2 June 1950) is a Welsh Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff North since between the 2010 general election and the dissolution of the 55th Parliament on 30 March 2015, when he stood down at the general election in 2015. In April 2015 he became non-executive chairman of Allied World Managing Agency.

After training as a solicitor, he was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire between 1992 and 1997, and then Member of the European Parliament for Wales between 1999 and 2009.

Professional career

Born in Tredegar, Evans was educated at Lewis School, Pengam, Howardian High School, Cardiff and the Law Society's College of Law in Guildford and London. He trained with solicitors Leo Abse and Cohen in Cardiff from 1968 and joined the firm upon qualification in 1973 rising to Managing Partner in 1987. In 1997, he was appointed Director of Insurance in the City of London office of Eversheds, the major global law firm and remained a consultant to the practice until 2009.He has also acted as a consultant on London Insurance market issues to several major North American insurance corporations.

He is a former Deputy Chairman of the Welsh Housing Corporation (Tai Cymru). In 1995 he was appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

In April 2015 after stepping down as MP for Cardiff North, he became non-executive chairman of Allied World Managing Agency. He also joined the board of directors of Allied World Assurance Company Holdings.[2]

Political career

Evans attempted to enter Parliament many times before getting elected. In February and October 1974 he stood for the ultra-safe Labour seat of Ebbw Vale, coming third to Michael Foot on each occasion. In 1979 he fought Wolverhampton North East, but was beaten by Renee Short. He contested the 1987 general election in the marginal Brecon and Radnorshire constituency, but lost by 56 votes to the sitting Liberal MP Richard Livsey.[3]

At the 1992 general election, he defeated Livsey (who was now a Liberal Democrat) by 130 votes[4] and took his seat in the House of Commons. He was a junior minister in the John Major government, serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor; Corporate Affairs Minister at the Department of Trade and Industry; and then serving under William Hague as Under Secretary of State for Wales from 1996 to 1997. However, at the 1997 general election Livsey retook the seat with a majority of over 5,000.[5]

At the European Parliament election, 1999, Evans was elected as MEP for Wales in 1999, and he was re-elected at the 2004 Euro-elections. He was Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament from 2001 until 2004. In August 2007, he was selected to fight the highly marginal seat of Cardiff North in the 2010 general election. Evans stood down from the European Parliament at the 2009 elections and was succeeded by Kay Swinburne, MEP. Evans subsequently won the Cardiff North seat with a majority a majority of 194 votes. He became chair of the All-Party Parliamentary group on Insurance and Financial services. Hw was MP from May 2010 until March 2015.

Personal life

Evans is married to Margaret, and has three children (Angharad, Rhianydd and Nicholas).

He is a supporter of Cardiff City Football Club and Cardiff Blues Rugby Club.

A Roman Catholic, he is a leading pro-life campaigner for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children and launched their Welsh office in Cardiff in the 1990s

References

  1. ↑ http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2013-01-17/cardiff-north-mp-jonathan-evans-will-step-down-at-the-2015-e/
  2. ↑ Former MP Jonathan Evans joins Allied World board, April 2015
  3. ↑ UK general elections, June 1987
  4. ↑ UK general elections, April 1992
  5. ↑ Election results 1997–2001

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jonathan Evans.

Offices held

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Richard Livsey		 Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire
1992–1997 		Succeeded by
Richard Livsey
Preceded by
Julie Morgan		 Member of Parliament for Cardiff North
2010–present 		Incumbent
European Parliament
Preceded by
New constituency		 Member of European Parliament for Wales
1999–2009 		Succeeded by
Kay Swinburne