Joyce Watson

Elizabeth Joyce Watson (born 1955) is a Welsh Labour politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Mid and West Wales since 2007.

Career

Watson was educated at Manorbier School, Cosheston School and Cardigan Comprehensive before going on to Pembrokeshire College in 1990. In 1993, she studied politics at Swansea University, later gaining an honours degree at the same time as running Labour's successful parliamentary campaign for Preseli Pembrokeshire.

An active Labour Party member, Watson was elected to Pembrokeshire County Council at the inaugural elections in 1995, capturing a seat in Haverfordwest from the Independents. She retained her seat in 1999 and 2004. She was leader of the Labour group on Pembrokeshire Council for six years, and the only female member on the authority representing a ward within the Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency from 1995 until 2004. She was a member of Dyfed Powys Police Authority and the Pembrokeshire Spatial Plan working group. She has worked on social justice projects such as the award-winning Garth youth project, which she chairs. Watson was Manager of the Wales Women’s National Coalition with an all Wales remit and was a senior member of the Wales Gender Budget Group and the NHS Equality Reference Group.

Watson was elected as an Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales in May 2007.

She is currently a member of the Equality of Opportunity Committee, Communities and Culture Committee, Subordinate Legislation Committee and Finance Committee. Watson is also Rural Affairs spokesperson for Labour in the Assembly, a member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly and Chair of the Cross Party Group on the Trafficking of Women and Children, which she set up. She is also Vice-Chair of the Cross Party Group on Eating Disorders and Vice-Chair of the Cross-Party group for Looked-after Children.

Personal life

Watson has run several businesses, including public houses, restaurants and retail outlets in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

She is married to Colin and has three children, Heather, Fiona and William.

Watson's father was a prisoner of war during the Second World War, upon his return to the UK he was suspected of being a German spy. This was because he spoke Welsh as a first language and very little English but had learnt some German whilst overseas. Following his ordeal he brought up his children only speaking English. Watson is now learning Welsh, and her children were all educated in Welsh medium schools.

Offices held