Jill Evans

Jill Evans
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
for Wales
Assumed office
10 June 1999
Preceded by Position established
Personal details
Born (1959-05-08) 8 May 1959
Ystrad Rhondda, Glamorgan, Wales
Nationality Welsh
Political party Plaid Cymru
Spouse(s) Syd Morgan
Alma mater University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Glamorgan University (now the University of South Wales)
Occupation Member of the European Parliament
Website http://www.jillevans.net/

Jill Evans (born 8 May 1959) is Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament for Wales.[1]

In June 1999, Evans was elected as the first MEP for Plaid Cymru[2], and was subsequently reelected in 2009 and 2014. From 2009 until 2014, she was the Vice-President of the Greens/European Free Alliance Group, and is a member of the Committee on Culture and Education.[1]

She also deputises on the Transport and Tourism Committee and is a member of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Background

Evans was born in Ystrad Rhondda, Glamorgan. She was educated at Tonypandy Grammar School[3] before attending the Polytechnic of Wales, Trefforest (now University of South Wales) where she earned an M.Phil.

Professional career

Evans worked as a Research Assistant at the former Polytechnic of Wales. She later worked as public affairs officer for the National Federation of Women's Institutes in Wales for six years. Following her first election to public office, she took up the post of Wales Organiser for CHILD - the infertility support network.[4]

Political career

Evans was a political activist before being elected to public office, and participated in the Greenham Common campaign,[5] She was later elected to Rhondda Borough Council in 1992, Mid-Glamorgan County Council in 1993, and, following the abolition of these, to the Rhondda Cynon Taf Council in 1995, standing down in 1999.[4][6] Whilst a councillor, Evans was also Chair of Plaid Cymru from 1994 to 1996.[7]

Evans was then elected to the European Parliament at the 1999 elections, becoming the first Plaid Cymru MEP. Evans was re-elected at subsequent elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014.[1] Following her election, in 2006 she campaigned against closure of the Burberry factory in Treorchy.[8]

Evans then stood for the Rhondda constituency in the National Assembly for Wales election, 2007 and came second with 6,660 votes (30%).[9]

On 4 November 2011 she was fined £575 after refusing to pay her TV licence fee in protest over changes to the Welsh-language channel S4C.[10]

In 2012, Evans was criticised for a poor speaking record in the European Parliament, having spoken only four times in two years.[11]

She was chair of CND Cymru and President of Plaid Cymru until the position was abolished in 2013.

In 2016, the Welsh Election Study found that Evans, along with two other Welsh MEPs from Labour and the Conservatives, had less name recognition than an invented name.[12]

Evans is currently Plaid Cymru spokesperson for European and International issues.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Jill EVANS". europarl.europa.eu.
  2. ↑ "Plaid Cymru Annual Conference Speech, Aberystwyth". Jill Evans MEP. 12 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Jill campaigns for famous fountain". WalesOnline. 17 August 2006.
  4. 1 2 Jill Evans MEP. "About Me".
  5. ↑ "Greenham women mark missile fight". BBC News. 27 August 2001.
  6. ↑ "Rhondda Cyon Taff County Borough Council Election Results 1995-2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University.
  7. ↑ "Jill Evans voted Plaid president". BBC News. 7 June 2010.
  8. ↑ "Terfel supports Burberry campaign". BBC News. 17 December 2006.
  9. ↑ "Election results for Rhondda". National Assembly for Wales. 3 May 2007.
  10. ↑ "MEP Jill Evans fined for TV licence protest over S4C". BBC News. BBC. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  11. ↑ Shipton, Martin (1 December 2012). "MEP Jill Evans under fire for European Parliament speaking record". WalesOnine.
  12. ↑ "Fake MEP better known than real ones". BBC News. 17 November 2016.

Offices held

European Parliament
New constituency Member of European Parliament for Wales
1999–present		 Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
John Dixon		 Chair of Plaid Cymru
1994–1996		 Succeeded by
Marc Phillips
Preceded by
Dafydd Iwan		 Vice President of Plaid Cymru
2004–2010		 Succeeded by
Chris Franks
Preceded by
Dafydd Iwan		 President of Plaid Cymru
2010–2013		 Succeeded by
Position abolished
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