Alex Davies-Jones Explained

Alex Davies-Jones
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Party:Labour
Office1:Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding
Term Start1:27 November 2023
Term End1:5 July 2024
Predecessor1:Jess Phillips
Leader1:Keir Starmer
Office2:Shadow Minister for Tech and Digital Economy
Leader2:Keir Starmer
Term Start2:4 December 2021
Term End2:27 November 2023
Predecessor2:Office established
Successor2:Chris Evans
Office3:Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
Leader3:Keir Starmer
Term Start3:26 February 2021
Term End3:4 December 2021
Predecessor3:Karin Smyth
Successor3:Tonia Antoniazzi
Office4:Member of Parliament
for Pontypridd
Term Start4:12 December 2019
Predecessor4:Owen Smith
Majority4:8,402 (21.3%)
Birth Name:Alexandra Davies-Jones
Birth Date:1989 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Tonyrefail, Wales
Alma Mater:Cardiff University
Children:3
Office:Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Victims
Term Start:9 July 2024
Primeminister:Keir Starmer
Predecessor:Laura Farris

Alexandra Davies-Jones (born 5 April 1989) is a Welsh Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pontypridd since 2019.[1] [2] She has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Victims since July 2024.[3] [4] She previously served as Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding from November 2023 to July 2024.[5] [6]

Early life and education

Alexandra Davies was born on 5 April 1989 in Church Village. She is the daughter of a miner, stating that she was "brought up on the values of socialism". She attended Tonyrefail Primary School, Tonyrefail Comprehensive School and graduated from Cardiff University with a joint honours degree in law and politics.[7]

Political career

Davies-Jones was a youth representative for the Labour Party, Co-operative Party, and the trade union Unite the Union.[8]

She began her career as a researcher in the House of Commons and the National Assembly for Wales. Davies-Jones was a Regional Development Consultant for the Electoral Reform Society from 2010 to 2011. She then worked as a communications and press officer for Wales and the West Midlands at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors from 2013 to 2015. She worked for the non-profit Dwr Cymru Welsh Water as a regional communications director and then a community engagement manager from 2015 to 2019.[7]

Davies-Jones was elected as a councillor for Tonyrefail Community Council in 2012, at the age of 23, and for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council in 2017.[9]

Parliamentary career

At the 2019 general election, Davies-Jones was elected to Parliament as MP for Pontypridd with 44.5% of the vote and a majority of 5,890.[10] [11] [12]

Davies-Jones spoke publicly about threats she received in January 2023 after she raised the issue of Andrew Tate's influence over school behaviour in boys. Raising the issue initially at prime minister's questions, she told MPs “Teachers are now having to develop their own resources to re-educate boys who are being brainwashed online by his deeply toxic messaging.”[13] Davies-Jones involved the police after she received death threats and rape threats.

In February 2023 following on investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Davies-Jones was found to have breached the Code of Conduct for Members in relation to asking a parliamentary question about the British Council.[14] She had taken part in a British Council funded trip to Japan the previous autumn. Davies-Jones apologised and following the report's determination that the breach was "minor and inadvertent", the Commons Select Committee on Standards took no further action.[15]

Davies-Jones is a parliamentary supporter of Labour Friends of Israel and was part of a delegation to the country in February 2023.[16] [17]

During the run up to the 2024 United Kingdom general election Davies-Jones pulled out of a hustings event held by Rhondda Cynon Taf Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the National Education Union. She told the organisers she could no longer participate as a result of threats from another candidate, and was acting on police advice not to attend the event. The hustings event was cancelled.[18]

On 29 June 2024, two constituents were arrested after Davies-Jones filed a complaint of "intimidation" in response to an online video of them asking her why she had abstained on a SNP motion for a ceasefire in Gaza. According to a statement by the South Wales Police, "Two women, aged 25 and 30, have been arrested on suspicion of harassment, public order offences and criminal damage in the Pontypridd area". The two had their homes raided and were given bail conditions restricting their ability to talk about the arrests on social media.[19]

At the 2024 general election, Davies-Jones was re-elected as MP for Pontypridd with a decreased vote share of 41.2% and an increased majority of 8,402.

Personal life

Davies-Jones has two stepsons, Blake and Kieran, and a son, Sullivan, with her husband, Andrew, whom she married in 2014.[20] In January 2021, Davies-Jones talked to BBC News about her experiences of cervical cancer.[21]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pontypridd parliamentary constituency - Election 2019. 13 December 2019. en-GB.
  2. Web site: Davies-Jones, Alexandra Mary. 10 December 2020. Who's Who. 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U293980.
  3. Web site: Ministerial Appointments: July 2024 . 2024-07-19 . GOV.UK . en.
  4. Web site: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State - GOV.UK . 2024-07-27 . www.gov.uk . en.
  5. Web site: Parliamentary Career for Alex Davies-Jones . UK Parliament . 23 February 2022.
  6. Web site: Meet our Shadow Cabinet . 2023-09-09 . The Labour Party . en.
  7. News: The General Election 2019 candidates standing in Pontypridd. Mosalski. Ruth. 10 November 2019. Wales Online. 13 December 2019.
  8. Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs. Politics Home: The House. Daniel. Bond. 16 December 2019. 24 December 2019.
  9. Web site: Cllr. DAVIES-JONES Alexandra. Rhondda Cynon Taf. 13 December 2019.
  10. Web site: Statements of Persons Nominated . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191117170042/https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Council/Votingandelections/Noticeofelections/StatementsofPersonsNominated.aspx . 17 November 2019 . 17 November 2019 . Rhondda Cynon Taf Council .
  11. News: Pontypridd Parliamentary constituency . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012143430/https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/W07000075 . 12 October 2020 . 7 April 2020 . Election 2019 Results . BBC.
  12. Web site: Election-Results/General-Election-2019 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201029231111/https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Council/Votingandelections/Electionresults/2019GeneralElections/ParliamentaryGeneralElectionResults2019.aspx . 29 October 2020 . 7 April 2020 . Rhondda Cynon Taf Council .
  13. Web site: Adu . Aletha . MP receives rape and death threats after speaking against Andrew Tate . the Guardian . 31 January 2023 . 2 July 2024.
  14. News: Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones apologises for 'minor' lobbying rules breach . 9 February 2023 . 9 June 2023 . .
  15. News: Front bench Labour MP under investigation for potential lobbying rules breach . Brawn . Steph . 24 January 2023 . . 25 January 2023 . subscription . en.
  16. Web site: LFI Parliamentary Supporters . . 6 July 2017 . 11 February 2024.
  17. News: Bloch . Ben . 'Israel can rely on Labour' declares MP on week-long trip to Jewish state . 11 February 2024 . . 10 February 2023.
  18. News: Mansfield . Mark . Election hustings cancelled after threats to candidate . . 1 July 2024 . 2 July 2024.
  19. News: Two arrested after Labour candidate challenged about her voting record on Gaza . Shipton . Martin . 3 July 2024 . 4 July 2024 . .
  20. Mosalski . Ruth . 22 December 2019 . The girl who went from working in a bowling alley to being MP for her hometown . Wales Online . 8 January 2020.
  21. News: 2021-01-18. Alex Davies-Jones MP 'lost most of cervix after delaying smear'. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-01-19.