Susan Elan Jones

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Biography

Jones comes from Ponciau near Rhosllannerchrugog and studied at Bristol University and Cardiff University. She worked as a fundraiser for charities for 15 years before becoming an MP.[3]

In the 1997 general election, Jones stood for Labour in Surrey Heath, coming third. From 2006 to 2009 she was a councillor in the London Borough of Southwark and was deputy leader of the opposition from 2007 to 2009.[4] Parliamentary career

Following the 2010 general election, as the new Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Jones took her Parliamentary Oath of Allegiance to the Queen in Welsh; she is fluent in the language. An active supporter of Welsh language use, she wrote in one article: "I would contend that for a Labour supporter being actively pro-Welsh language is a natural part of our DNA, as much as supporting public services, tackling low pay or taking on any other equalities cause".[citation needed]

When making her maiden speech in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on 9 June 2010 Jones spoke of the historic discrimination faced by speakers of the Welsh language. In her speech, she compared the ordinary people who campaigned for the Welsh language at times when it had not been fashionable to do so as civil rights activists "in the mould of Mrs Rosa Parks".[5][6] She has returned to the issue in her speeches in the Commons, including on the Welsh television channel S4C.[7]

She has campaigned on military issues, and used her first appearance at Prime Minister's Questions to support a Royal British Legion campaign against the planned abolition of the Chief Coroner's office, which they argued would have undermined the independence and quality of investigations into military deaths.[8] Prime Minister David Cameron reversed his decision two weeks later and announced that the service would not be scrapped.[9] She assailed Conservative Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke over "secret inquests" opposed by military families,[10] provoking a "swipe" at the Royal British Legion from the Minister.,[11]

She has frequently backed various local business interests in parliamentary debates, including solar panel businesses concerned about cuts to subsidies for domestic solar panels,[12] and wood panelling businesses[13] which employ many people in her Clwyd South constituency.

Jones has strongly advocated the publication of all MPs' expenses and publishes her own expense claims on her website each month.[14]

From October 2010 to October 2011, Jones served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Harriet Harman MP, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, in her role as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. In the October 2011 reshuffle, Jones was appointed to the Labour front bench as a Whip.[15]

Jones resigned from Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet, along with dozens of her colleagues, in June 2016 and, in calling Corbyn "unelectable", also urged him to resign as Labour leader. Via a statement on her website, Jones called Brexit "a disaster", although 60% of her Clwyd South constituency voted to leave the European Union.[16]