Gerald Jones
Gerald Jones | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Assistant Government Whip | |
| Assumed office 10 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Shadow Minister for Scotland | |
| In office 5 September 2023 – 5 July 2024 Serving with Michael Shanks | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Liz Twist |
| Shadow Minister for Wales | |
| In office 10 April 2020 – 5 September 2023 | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Chris Ruane |
| Succeeded by | Jessica Morden |
| In office 10 October 2016 – 3 July 2017 | |
| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Susan Elan Jones |
| Succeeded by | Chris Ruane |
| Shadow Minister for Veterans | |
| In office 3 July 2017 – 10 April 2020 | |
| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Rachael Maskell (2016) [1] |
| Succeeded by | Sharon Hodgson |
| Member of Parliament for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (2015-2024) | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Dai Havard |
| Majority | 7,447 (21.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 August 1970 Phillipstown, Wales |
| Political party | Labour |
| Website | www |
Gerald Jones (born 21 August 1970) is a Welsh Labour Party politician, serving as Assistant Government Whip who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, previously Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney since 2015. He was Shadow Minister for Scotland from 2023-2024 and previously served as a Shadow Wales Office minister.[2][3]
Early life and career
[edit]Gerald Jones was born on 21 August 1970 in Phillipstown.
He joined the Labour Party in 1988, and has served in a range of roles including Chairperson of New Tredegar Branch Labour Party and the Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Constituency Labour Party. Between 2003 and 2015, he served as an election agent in both the UK general elections and Welsh Assembly election campaigns across Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney.
Jones was elected as a Labour Councillor to Caerphilly County Borough Council in 1995, representing his home community of New Tredegar for the next 20 years. He also served as Deputy Leader of the Council and between 2012 and 2015 also served as Cabinet Member for Housing where he drove the council's commitment to delivering the Welsh Housing Quality Standard programme. Jones also served as the Anti Poverty and Homelessness Champion.[4]
Parliamentary career
[edit]At the 2015 general election, Jones was elected to Parliament as MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney with 53.9% of the vote and a majority of 11,513.[5][6][7]
He supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour leadership election.[8]
Having served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Shadow Wales and Defence teams, he was appointed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as a Shadow Wales Minister in October 2016 and a Shadow Defence Minister in July 2017.[9][10][11]
Jones was re-elected as MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 66.8% and an increased majority of 16,334.[12][13] He was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, with a decreased vote share of 52.4% and a decreased majority of 10,606.[14][15][16]
Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Jones' constituency of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney was abolished, and replaced with Merthyr Tydfil and Upper Cynon. In June 2023, Jones defeated Beth Winter to be selected as the Labour candidate for Merthyr Tydfil and Upper Cynon at the 2024 general election.[17] The seat was ultimately renamed Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare in the final recommendations published late in the month.[18]
In the 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Scotland.[3]
At the 2024 general election, Jones was elected to Parliament as MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare with 44.8% of the vote and a majority of 7,447.[19]
Personal life
[edit]He is gay and employs his partner, Tyrone Powell, as his Senior Parliamentary Assistant.[20][21]
References
[edit]- ^ Armed Forces, Personnel and Veterans
- ^ "Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney parliamentary constituency – Election 2015". BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Meet our Shadow Cabinet". The Labour Party. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ "Gerald Jones selected as candidate for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney". LabourList. 13 December 2014.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Merthyr result". Election results for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ "Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Parliamentary constituency". Election 2015 Results. BBC. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith". LabourList. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ "Reshuffle 2: The Maintenance of the Malcontents". New Socialist. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ "About me". Gerald Jones MP. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ "Gerald Jones MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ "Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Parliamentary constituency". Election 2017 Results. BBC. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "2017 Results". Merthyr Tydfil Council. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Parliamentary Election Thursday 12 December 2019" (PDF). Merthyr Tydfil Council. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^ "Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Parliamentary constituency". Election 2019 Results. BBC. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Election-Results/General-Election-2019". Merthyr Tydfil Council. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Welsh Labour: Frontbench MP beats left-winger in seat battle". BBC News. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests (10 April 2017: Jones, Gerald)". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "Does the UK now have the most LGB elected MPs in the world?". PinkNews. Retrieved 14 September 2015.