Caroline Jones (politician)
| Caroline Jones AM | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Leader of the UK Independence Party in the National Assembly for Wales | |
|
In office 17 May 2018 – 10 August 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Neil Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Gareth Bennett |
| Member of the Welsh Assembly for South Wales West Region | |
|
Assumed office 5 May 2016 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 April 1955 |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party |
Conservative Party (until 2014) UK Independence Party (2014–2018) Independent (2018-Present) |
| Alma mater | Glamorgan College of Education |
Caroline Yvonne Jones (born 1 April 1955) is a Welsh politician and former leader of UKIP in the Welsh Assembly. She was a UK Independence Party Member of the National Assembly for Wales for South Wales West since the National Assembly for Wales election, 2016 until 2018 when she left the party to sit as an independent.[1]
Education
She was educated at Y Pant School and Glamorgan College of Education.[2]
Political career
Jones first stood for the Conservative Party in Aberavon at the 2010 UK General Election. In 2012 Jones stood as a Conservative for South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner.[3] Her café in Porthcawl was vandalised during the campaign and Jones pledged to donate 10% of her PCC salary to organisations dealing with victims of crime and crime prevention if elected. The perpetrators of the crime were never caught and it emerged that the CCTV camera protecting the shop was pointed the other way.[4]
Defection to UKIP
Jones defected from the Conservatives to UKIP in 2013[5] and in 2015 she stood for the party in the General Election for the constituency of Bridgend.[6]
Jones voted for Neil Hamilton to be the leader of UKIP in the Welsh Assembly.
After Nigel Farage declared his intention to stand down, Jones wrote a letter along with other members of the assembly urging Paul Nuttall to stand in the first UK Independence Party leadership election, 2016.
Jones is a member of the Assembly's Health, Social Care and Sport committee.[7]
UKIP National Assembly Group Leader
Jones replaced Hamilton as leader of UKIP in the National Assembly on the 17 May 2018 following a vote by the UKIP group.[8]
On 10 August 2018, Jones lost the group leadership finishing last in the UKIP Wales leadership election, 2018 in a three-way contest. Gareth Bennett won the contest and replaced her as group leader.[9]
Leaves UKIP to sit as an independent
On September 12, 2018, Jones announced that she was leaving the United Kingdom Independence Party citing her reasons as the party moving "to a more far-right position" under Gerard Batten and a leadership election that was "shambolic from beginning to end". She also said that she was a victim of misogyny claiming that she was once told to "shut up" at a meeting. UKIP Group Leader Gareth Bennett admitted that she was told this by a participant, but that "it had nothing to do with her gender". UKIP Wales Leader Neil Hamilton called on Jones to resign her regional list seat and allow another UKIP member to become an AM, which she refused to do.[10]
Party Leader Gerard Batten described her statement as "politically correct twaddle to disguise the fact that Mrs Jones is politically ineffective..."[11]
Controversy
In 2004, while working as a prison officer at HM Prison Parc, Jones opened a sexual discrimination case against the prison. It was alleged that a colleague of Jones had spread rumours that she had worked as a lap dancer prior to her employment at the prison and that a campaign of intimidation was set against her to force her out.[12] Jones subsequently lost her case.[13]
In May 2018 it was revealed that Jones had failed to declare the employment of husband Alun Williams in her office on her register of interests. Jones described it as "an oversight" that would be corrected.[14]
In June 2018 Jones was taken to court by former UKIP Chief of Staff Robin Hunter-Clarke for the wrongful termination of his contract. The judge ruled that she could not grant interim relief because it was unclear who Mr Hunter-Clarke's employer was at the time of the sacking. Court proceedings are set to recommence in August 2018.[15]
References
- ↑ "Welsh Election 2016: Labour just short as UKIP wins seats". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ↑ ‘JONES, Caroline Yvonne’, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017
- ↑ "Welsh Secretary David Jones cornered by teenager over housing benefit cuts". Wales Online. WalesOnline. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ↑ "Police commissioner candidate becomes victim of crime". www.walesonline.co.uk. Wales Online. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ↑ Shipton, Martin. "Two former Conservative candidates defect to UKIP in signs its Welsh support is growing". www.walesonline.co.uk. Wales Online. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ↑ "Election 2015 results: Bridgend". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ↑ http://www.senedd.assembly.wales/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=448
- ↑ Neil Hamilton ousted as UKIP leader in Welsh Assembly. BBC NEWS. Published 17 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ↑ "UKIP Wales members elect Gareth Bennett as assembly leader". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- ↑ "UKIP AM Caroline Jones quits party over 'far-right move'". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ↑ "UKIP AM quits party claiming she was 'shouted at to shut up' and had 'glasses thrown' at her". itv.com. ITV. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ↑ "I was locked in cell 'office' says warden". www.walesonline.co.uk. Wales Online. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ↑ "Outrage as 'best' warder loses sex bias case". www.walesonline.co.uk. Wales Online. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ↑ ap Dafydd, Aled. "UKIP Welsh Assembly leader Caroline Jones did not declare husband's job". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ↑ ap Dafydd, Aled (21 June 2018). "Identity of UKIP aide's boss disputed at employment tribunal". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
| National Assembly for Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Peter Black |
Assembly Member for South Wales West 2016 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |