Mandy Jones (politician)

Mandy Jones
Member of the Senedd
for North Wales Region
In office
27 December 2017 – 29 April 2021
Preceded byNathan Gill
Succeeded bySam Rowlands
Personal details
BornWolverhampton, England
Political partyReform UK (2019–present)
Other political
affiliations
Alma materLlysfasi College
OccupationFarmer, Politician

Mandy Jones is a British former politician and farmer who was a Member of the Senedd (MS) for North Wales from 2017 to 2021.[1][2] Jones was elected for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) but sat as an independent politician within the Senedd from early January 2018 until May 2019, when she joined the Brexit Party (Reform UK).[3] In October 2020 she joined the Independent Alliance for Reform group.

Background

Jones was born in Wolverhampton, West Midlands and worked as a farm contractor and shepherd in north east Wales. She studied Agriculture & Small Animal Care at Llysfasi College (now Coleg Cambria). She brought up her family in the Corwen area.[4]

Political career

Jones stood for UKIP in the Clwyd South constituency at the 2015 General Election.[4] She also stood for UKIP in Clwyd South at the 2016 Welsh Assembly election, coming fourth behind Labour, the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru.[5] As the third UKIP candidate on the North Wales regional party list, she failed to secure a National Assembly for Wales seat.[6]

Following the resignation in December 2017 of former UKIP Assembly Member (AM), Nathan Gill, Jones (as the next available UKIP candidate on the regional list) was confirmed on 27 December as the replacement AM.[2][6] She was due to actively take up her duties following an oath swearing ceremony, which took place on 29 December at the Welsh Assembly's Colwyn Bay buildings.[7]

On 9 January 2018, UKIP Wales announced that she would not be joining the UKIP group in the Assembly, due to employing members of other parties in her office.[8] Jones refused to change her staff and described the UKIP group as "toxic". She describes herself as a Faragist and claims former UKIP leader Nigel Farage supports her actions.[9] Her party membership was suspended on 18 June 2018 following criticism of Neil Hamilton's nomination as an assembly commissioner.[10]

In March 2019, Jones spoke in the Assembly Chamber about the physical and emotional abuse she suffered from her adopted mother, in opposition to the Welsh Government's proposals to ban the smacking of children.[11]

In May 2019, Jones along with three other Assembly Members joined the Brexit Party and formed an assembly group in the Senedd, led by Mark Reckless.[12]

In mid October 2020 she formed a new group in the Senedd, the Independent Alliance for Reform, together with fellow MSs David Rowlands and Caroline Jones.[13]

At the 2021 Senedd election, Jones was the Reform UK candidate for Clwyd South, coming last with 277 votes (1.1%). She was not a candidate on the North Wales list.

Electoral history

2015 general election

General election 2015: Clwyd South[14][15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Elan Jones 13,051 37.2 −1.2
Conservative David Nicholls[17] 10,649 30.4 +0.2
UKIP Mandy Jones 5,480 15.6 +13.3
Plaid Cymru Mabon ap Gwynfor 3,620 10.3 +1.6
Liberal Democrats Bruce Roberts 1,349 3.8 −13.4
Green Duncan Rees 915 2.6 N/A
Rejected ballots 55
Majority 2,402 6.9 −1.3
Turnout 35,064 63.8 −0.7
Registered electors 54,996
Labour hold Swing -0.7

2016 Assembly election

Constituency

2016 National Assembly for Wales election: Clwyd South[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ken Skates 7,862 35.5 −6.9
Conservative Simon Baynes 4,846 21.9 −7.3
Plaid Cymru Mabon ap Gwynfor 3,861 17.4 −1.1
UKIP Mandy Jones 2,827 12.8 +12.8
Liberal Democrats Aled Roberts 2,289 10.3 +0.5
Green Duncan Rees 474 2.1 +2.1
Majority 3,016 13.6 +0.3
Turnout 22,159 40.9 +4.0
Labour hold Swing +0.2

Regional list

Jones was placed third on the North Wales regional list for the UK Independence Party, behind Nathan Gill and Michelle Brown.

References

  1. ^ "New North Wales UKIP AM following resignation of Nathan 'you're stuck with me' Gill". Deeside.com. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Mandy Jones confirmed to replace Nathan Gill in the Welsh Assembly". South Wales Argus. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  3. ^ "New AM does not want to be in UKIP group". BBC News. 10 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Mandy Jones, UKIP candidate for Clwyd South". Daily Post. North Wales. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Russell George and Ken Skates hold on to their seats in Welsh Assembly elections". Shropshire Star. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  6. ^ a b "New UKIP AM after Nathan Gill resignation". BBC News. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  7. ^ "UKIP's Mandy Jones sworn in as party's new North Wales AM". BBC News. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  8. ^ "UKIP Wales say New North Wales Regional AM 'will not be joining UKIP group' Deeside.com". www.deeside.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  9. ^ "New AM does not want to be in UKIP group". BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  10. ^ "UKIP suspends AM after Hamilton remarks". BBC News. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  11. ^ "AM's 'nightly beatings' by adoptive mother". BBC News. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Member Profile". National Assembly for Wales. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Brexit Party members of Welsh Parliament join new Senedd group". BBC News. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Clwyd South". BBC News. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Clwyd South result" (PDF). DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL. Wrexham County Borough Council. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  17. ^ "David Nicholls PPC page". Conservative Party (UK). Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Wales elections > Clwyd South". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
Senedd
Preceded by Member of the Senedd for North Wales
Dec 2017 – 2021 		Succeeded by