Ruth Jones

Ruth Lorraine Jones (born April 1962) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newport West since winning the seat at a by-election in April 2019.

Jones was educated at Duffryn High School in Newport. After training at Cardiff University, she worked as a physiotherapist in the National Health Service from 1983, eventually managing children and adult learning disability services for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Jones became involved with the professional body and trade union Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) as a steward, a regional steward, then a member of the CSP Council. In 2007 she was elected president of the Wales TUC for two years. In 2016 she became a full-time senior negotiating officer for the CSP.

Jones joined Labour "when Tony Blair was leader", has "declared herself a socialist", but regarding Jeremy Corbyn acknowledges that there are "strong views for him and strong views against him." She describes herself however as neither a member of the Blairite Progress nor the Corbynite Momentum group.

She contested Monmouth for Labour at the 2015 and 2017 general elections.

Jones voted to Remain in the 2016 referendum. She argued following the referendum for the Prime Minister to seek a cross-party "consensus" on leaving the European Union, but says she is opposed to a "damaging Tory Brexit or a no deal outcome". She says that if "Parliament [is unable] to achieve a sensible Brexit", she would support a People's Vote.

Jones was nominated as Labour's Parliamentary candidate for a third time, on this occasion for Newport West in January 2019 and was elected as an MP in April 2019 in the Newport West by-election, which had been caused by the death of the sitting Labour MP, Paul Flynn. On a relatively low turnout of 37.1%, Jones took 39.6% (9,308) of the vote, although the Labour majority dropped from 5,658 (in 2017) to 1,951. She was officially sworn in and took her seat in the House of Commons on 8 April 2019, and made her maiden speech on 1 May 2019 in a debate on climate change. Her constituency office at The Estates Office on Gold Tops was opened in June.

Jones stated in 2019 that she supported the now-cancelled M4 relief road.

Jones became a member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee in May 2019. She has signed the Long Live the Local pledge to reduce beer duty and business rates.

In August 2019 Jones joined 100 other MPs in calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to recall Parliament from the Summer Recess, and was one of 148 Labour MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister demanding he reverse the decision to prorogue Parliament in October for a Queen's Speech prior to the October 31 Brexit date. She voted in favour of the Benn Act, aimed at requiring an extension to Article 50 at the end of October to prevent a no deal exit on 31 October.

Jones was re-elected in the 2019 general election on a slim majority of 2.1%.

Jones is married with two adult children, both of whom studied at Glasllwch Primary School where she is a School Governor. She lives in Allt-yr-yn with her husband and nine-year-old miniature dachshund named Monty. She volunteers at a local night shelter scheme as well as being a member of a choir.