Marcus Jones (politician)

Marcus Jones
MP
Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Local Government
Assumed office
8 January 2018
Leader Theresa May
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In office
8 May 2015 – 8 January 2018
Leader David Cameron
Theresa May
Preceded by Stephen Williams
Succeeded by Heather Wheeler
Rishi Sunak
Member of Parliament
for Nuneaton
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded by Bill Olner
Majority 4,739 (10.3%)
Personal details
Born (1974-04-05) 5 April 1974
Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Website www.marcusjones.org.uk

Marcus Charles Jones (born 5 April 1974)[1] is a Conservative Party politician in the UK who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nuneaton since 2010, having won the seat again in 2015 and 2017. Previously he had been Leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.

Education and early career

Marcus Jones was born in Nuneaton on 5 April 1974 and has lived in the town all his life. He grew up in the suburb of Whitestone and was educated at St Thomas More Catholic School and King Edward VI College. Before becoming and MP, he worked as a conveyancing manager at Tustain Jones & Co., solicitors in Coventry and Nuneaton.[2]

Local government

Jones stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate in the Wem Brook ward of Nuneaton and Bedworth Council in 2002 and 2004, before being elected in the Whitestone ward in 2005. He was Conservative group leader from 2006–2009. In 2008 Marcus became the first Conservative Leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth, in the Council's 34-year history. He served as council leader and was also the Council's portfolio holder for Finance and Civic Affairs from 2006–2009, before standing down to concentrate on his parliamentary campaign. Jones stood down before the local elections in May 2010 and the Conservatives retained his seat, although they lost control of the Council.[3]

House of Commons

Marcus Jones was first elected to the House of Commons in 2010, as the Member of Parliament for Nuneaton with a majority of 2,069 votes.[4] His victory overturned a notional Labour majority of 3,850 and, as a result, he became the first Conservative MP for the town since 1992.

As an MP, Jones has campaigned for a PFI rebate, and is a member of the PFI Rebate campaign of more than 80 MPs, from all three major parties, who have been calling for savings on PFI.[5] Marcus claims that the PFI funding under which the University Hospital in Coventry was built and is now serviced has caused a substantial cost drag, and has put huge financial pressure on health services in Warwickshire.

Jones is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Town Centres and is also an Ambassador the Federation of Small Businesses' Keep Trade Local campaign[6]

In the general election in 2015 Nuneaton was Labour's target number 38,[7] but Jones won the seat for a second time.

As of May 2015, Marcus Jones became Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, under the first Conservative Government for 18 years.

In January 2016, in response to a proposed law that all rented houses should be fit for human habitation, he said: “New clause 52 would result in unnecessary regulation and cost to landlords which would deter further investment and push up rents for tenants. “Of course we believe that all homes should be of a decent standard and all tenants should have a safe place to live regardless of tenure, but local authorities already have strong and effective powers to deal with poor quality and safe accommodation and we expect them to use them.” He voted against the proposed law, but was not one of the 72 Conservative MPs who did so whilst also being landlords themselves.[8]

In May 2016, it emerged that Jones was one of a number of Conservative MPs being investigated by police in the United Kingdom general election, 2015 party spending investigation, for allegedly spending more than the legal limit on constituency election campaign expenses.[9] However, in May 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service said that while there was evidence of inaccurate spending returns, it did not "meet the test" for further action.[10]

He was re-elected in the General Election 2017 and during the Government re-shuffle of January 2018, Jones left Government after being appointed Vice Chair of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for Local Government.

In the House of Commons he sat on the Administration Committee and Backbench Business Committee and currently serves on the Speakers Committee on the Electoral Commission.[11]

Personal life

Marcus lives with his wife Suzanne and has two children, Oliver and Martha.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Marcus Jones MP". BBC Democracy Live. BBC News. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  2. ↑ "About Marcus". Marcus Jones. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "Nuneaton Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Plymouth University. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "UK> England> West Midlands> Nuneaton". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "MP Welcomes PFI Savings of £1.5bn | Marcus Jones MP". Marcusjones.org.uk. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Local MP Signs Up to Support Small Businesses in Nuneaton | Marcus Jones MP". Marcusjones.org.uk. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "UKPollingReport Election Guide » Labour Target Seats". Ukpollingreport.co.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "MP says rule requiring landlords to make homes fit for human habitation is 'unnecessary'". Coventry Telegraph. 17 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Election Expenses Exposed". Channel 4 News. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  10. ↑ "No charges over 2015 Conservative battle bus cases". BBC. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Marcus Jones". Parliament UK. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "Nuneaton MP welcomes new arrival – Coventry News – News". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Bill Olner		 Member of Parliament for Nuneaton
2010–present		 Incumbent
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