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'{{Short description|Welsh Labour politician}} {{otherpeople}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Use British English|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Gerald Jones | honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]] | image = Official portrait of Gerald Jones MP crop 2.jpg | office = [[Whip (politics)|Assistant Government Whip]] | primeminister = [[Keir Starmer]] | term_start = 10 July 2024 | office1 = [[Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland|Shadow Minister for Scotland]] | predecessor1 = [[Liz Twist]] | leader1 = [[Keir Starmer]] | term_start1 = 5 September 2023 | term_end1 = 5 July 2024 | alongside1 = [[Michael Shanks (politician)|Michael Shanks]] | office2 = [[Wales Office|Shadow Minister for Wales]] | leader2 = [[Keir Starmer]] | predecessor2 = [[Chris Ruane]] | successor2 = [[Jessica Morden]] | term_start2 = 10 April 2020 | term_end2 = 5 September 2023 | leader3 = [[Jeremy Corbyn]] | predecessor3 = [[Susan Elan Jones]] | successor3 = [[Chris Ruane]] | term_start3 = 10 October 2016 | term_end3 = 3 July 2017 | office4 = [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Shadow Minister for Veterans]] | leader4 = [[Jeremy Corbyn]] | term_start4 = 3 July 2017 | term_end4 = 10 April 2020 | predecessor4 = [[Rachael Maskell]] (2016) <ref>Armed Forces, Personnel and Veterans</ref> | successor4 = [[Sharon Hodgson]] | office5 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare]]<br />{{nobold|[[Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney]] (2015-2024)}} | term_start5 = 7 May 2015 | term_end5 = | predecessor5 = [[Dai Havard]] | successor5 = | majority5 = 7,447 (21.1%) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|8|21|df=y}} | birth_place = [[New Tredegar|Phillipstown]], [[Wales]] | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Welsh Labour|Labour]] | caption = Official portrait, 2020 | website = {{Official URL}} }} '''Gerald Jones''' (born 21 August 1970) is a [[Welsh Labour|Welsh Labour Party]] politician, serving as [[Whip (politics)|Assistant Government Whip]] who has been the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare]], previously [[Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney]] since [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015]]. He was Shadow Minister for Scotland from 2023-2024 and previously served as a Shadow [[Wales Office]] minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney parliamentary constituency – Election 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/W07000071 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date= |access-date=13 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Meet our Shadow Cabinet |url=https://labour.org.uk/people/shadow-cabinet/ |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=The Labour Party |language=en}}</ref> == Early life and career == Gerald Jones was born on 21 August 1970 in [[Phillipstown, Caerphilly|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 and Rhymney (UK Parliament constituency)|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.<ref>{{cite web |date=13 December 2014 |title=Gerald Jones selected as candidate for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney |url=https://labourlist.org/2014/12/gerald-jones-selected-as-candidate-for-merthyr-tydfil-and-rhymney/ |website=LabourList}}</ref> ==Parliamentary career== At the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]], Jones was elected to Parliament as MP for [[Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney]] with 53.9% of the vote and a majority of 11,513.<ref name="electoralcalculus2015">{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=[[Electoral Calculus]]}}</ref><ref name="2015results">{{cite web |date=7 May 2015 |title=Merthyr result |url=http://democracy.merthyr.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=69&RPID=1358061 |access-date=21 September 2015 |website=Election results for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney |publisher=Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/W07000071#election2015-logo |access-date=4 April 2020 |website=Election 2015 Results |publisher=BBC}}</ref> He supported [[Owen Smith]] in the failed attempt to replace [[Jeremy Corbyn]] in the [[2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election|2016 Labour leadership election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://labourlist.org/2016/07/which-mps-and-meps-have-nominated-owen-smith/|title=Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith|date=2016-07-21|website=LabourList|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-07-15}}</ref> Having served as a [[Parliamentary Private Secretary|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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newsocialist.org.uk/reshuffle-2-the-ma/|title=Reshuffle 2: The Maintenance of the Malcontents|date=2017-07-08|work=New Socialist|access-date=2017-07-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.geraldjones.co.uk/about_me|title=About me|work=Gerald Jones MP|access-date=2017-07-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802003315/http://www.geraldjones.co.uk/about_me|archive-date=2 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/Gerald-Jones/4501|title=Gerald Jones MP|website=UK Parliament|access-date=2017-07-10}}</ref> Jones was re-elected as MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney at the snap [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]] with an increased vote share of 66.8% and an increased majority of 16,334.<ref>{{cite news |title=Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/W07000071#election2017-logo |access-date=4 April 2020 |website=Election 2017 Results |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref><ref name="2017results">{{cite web |date=8 June 2017 |title=2017 Results |url=https://democracy.merthyr.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=83&RPID=8131836&LLL=0 |access-date=4 April 2020 |website=Merthyr Tydfil Council}}</ref> He was again re-elected at the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]], with a decreased vote share of 52.4% and a decreased majority of 10,606.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parliamentary Election Thursday 12 December 2019 |url=https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/media/5511/notice-of-poll-statement-of-persons-nominated.pdf |access-date=17 November 2019 |website=Merthyr Tydfil Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/W07000071 |access-date=4 April 2020 |website=Election 2019 Results |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref name="2019results">{{cite web |date=12 December 2019 |title=Election-Results/General-Election-2019 |url=https://democracy.merthyr.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=86&RPID=8131836&LLL=0 |access-date=4 April 2020 |website=Merthyr Tydfil Council}}</ref> 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 (UK Parliament constituency)|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 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]].<ref>{{cite web |date=7 June 2023 |title=Welsh Labour: Frontbench MP beats left-winger in seat battle |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65760166 |access-date=7 June 2023 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The seat was ultimately renamed [[Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare]] in the final recommendations published late in the month.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://bcomm-wales.gov.uk/sites/bcomm/files/review/E02886334_Boundary Commission Wales 2023_English_Web Accessible_V03.pdf |title=2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales |date=28 June 2023 |publisher=[[Boundary Commission for Wales]]}}</ref> In the [[2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle]], he was appointed Shadow Minister for Scotland.<ref name=":0" /> At the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare results |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/W07000099 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> ==Personal life== He is gay and employs his partner, Tyrone Powell, as his Senior Parliamentary Assistant.<ref name="parliament">{{cite web|url=https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/170410/jones_gerald.htm|title=House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests (10 April 2017: Jones, Gerald) |website=publications.parliament.uk|access-date=2017-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Does the UK now have the most LGB elected MPs in the world? |url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/05/08/does-the-uk-now-have-the-most-lgbt-elected-mps-in-the-world/ |access-date=2015-09-14 |work=[[PinkNews]]}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== * {{Official website}}{{UK MP links |parliament=gerald-jones/4501 |publicwhip=Gerald_Jones |theywork=gerald_jones}} {{S-start}} {{s-par|uk}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Dai Havard]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br>for [[Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney]]|years=[[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015]]–[[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]]}} {{s-non|reason=Constituency abolished}} |- {{s-new|constituency}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br>for [[Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (UK Parliament constituency)|Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare]]|years=[[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]]–present}} {{s-inc}} {{S-end}} {{Labour Party UK MPs}}{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Gerald}} [[Category:1970 births]] [[Category:Welsh Labour MPs]] [[Category:LGBT members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Welsh gay politicians]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:UK MPs 2015–2017]] [[Category:UK MPs 2017–2019]] [[Category:UK MPs 2019–2024]] [[Category:UK MPs 2024–present]] [[Category:Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East]]'