Owen Jones Explained

Owen Jones
Birth Date:1984 8, df=yes
Birth Place:Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
Education:University College, Oxford (BA, MSt)
Party:Labour Party (1999–2024)
Mother:Ruth Aylett
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Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a British newspaper columnist, commentator, journalist, author and political activist.

He writes a column for The Guardian and contributes to the New Statesman, Tribune, and The National[2] and was previously a columnist for The Independent. He has two weekly web series, The Owen Jones Show and The Owen Jones Podcast.

Early life and education

Jones was born on 8 August 1984[3] in Sheffield and raised in Stockport, where he attended Bramhall High School and Ridge Danyers Sixth Form College.[4] He read History at University College, Oxford, and graduated in 2005.[5]

Before entering journalism, he worked as a trade union lobbyist and a parliamentary researcher for the Labour Party MP John McDonnell.[6] [7] At one point he was also hired by the historian Eric Hobsbawm to index and archive his papers.[8]

Writings and public career

Columnist, broadcaster and writer

Jones is a weekly columnist for The Guardian[9] after switching from The Independent in March 2014. His work has appeared in the New Statesman, the Sunday Mirror, Le Monde diplomatique and several publications with lower circulations. He writes from a left-wing perspective.[10] [11]

In 2011, Jones published his first book, , dissecting cultural stereotypes of the British working-class as boorish and anti-social "chavs". The book was selected by critic Dwight Garner of The New York Times as one of his top 10 non-fiction books of 2011, and reviewed by MP Jon Cruddas.[12] In November 2012, Jones was awarded Journalist of the Year at the Stonewall Awards, along with The Times journalist Hugo Rifkind.[13] Jones' second book, , was published in September 2014.[14]

In February 2013, when Jones was awarded the Young Writer of the Year prize at the Political Book Award, he donated half the £3,000 prize money to support the campaign of Lisa Forbes, a Labour parliamentary candidate, and the other half to Disabled People Against Cuts.[15]

In November 2013, he delivered the Royal Television Society's Huw Wheldon Memorial Lecture, Totally Shameless: How TV Portrays the Working Class.[16]

On 24 September 2020, Jones published This Land: The Struggle for the Left.[17] Jones was interviewed by Huck about the book.[18] The book received a negative review from British trade unionist Len McCluskey,[19] and was praised by Melissa Benn in the New Statesman: "Owen Jones has managed to produce a whodunnit political page-turner and a surprisingly fair account (given that Jones was a player in the Corbyn circles)".[20]

Political activism

Jones spoke at a press conference to launch the People's Assembly Against Austerity on 26 March 2013, and regional public meetings in the lead-up to a national meeting at Central Hall Westminster on 22 June 2013.[21]

In 2015, Jones was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University (DUniv) by Staffordshire University in recognition of his campaigning on social inequality.[22] Jones supports abolishing the monarchy of the United Kingdom.[23] He has spoken out about transphobia and LGBTQ rights.[24] [25] In 2019, Jones and some friends were attacked outside a London pub in a homophobic attack.[26] [27] [28] All the perpetrators were convicted.[29]

Jones is a former member of the Labour Party, having held membership of the party since the age of 15 and cancelling his membership in March 2024.[30] In his reasoning for leaving the party, Jones stated that it had become "a hostile environment" for those that support the policies that party leader Keir Starmer won his leadership on, which Starmer has since rejected, such as scrapping university tuition fees and support of public ownership.[31] Jones also criticised the Labour Party's rejection of a cap on bankers' bonuses and its opposition to a wealth tax, among other issues.[31]

In the 2024 United Kingdom general election Jones supported We Deserve Better, a group which campaigned against Labour in favour of Green and independent candidates.[32] [33]

Books

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 26 October 2017 . An evening of Socialism with Owen Jones . 2 February 2021 . Canterbury Labour Party . Jones describes himself as a democratic socialist, indeed, socialism used to be a term the Labour Party was more than happy to champion. . 13 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210213034419/https://www.canterburylabour.org.uk/an-evening-of-socialism-with-owen-jones/ . live.
  2. News: Webster . Laura . Owen Jones joins The National as a new regular contributor . 4 January 2024 . The National . Glasgow . 20 January 2024.
  3. Web site: Owen Jones (@OwenJones84). Twitter. https://archive.ph/U7clu. 30 March 2023. dead.
  4. Web site: Owen Jones . Mirror . 12 January 2024.
  5. Web site: Owen Jones Graphic novels and Illustration Non-Fiction . British Council . 12 January 2024.
  6. Web site: Time to abolish Oxbridge?. 9 June 2011. The Oxford Student. 18 February 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195403/http://oxfordstudent.com/2011/06/09/time-to-abolish-oxbridge/. 29 October 2013. live.
  7. Meltzer. Hannah. John McDonnell interview: how Labour is moving to the left. 3 March 2013. New Statesman. 19 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150407093236/http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/03/john-mcdonnell-interview-how-labour-moving-left. 7 April 2015. live. registration.
  8. Book: Evans, Richard J. . Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History . Oxford University Press . 2019 . 978-0-19-045964-2 . New York . 642.
  9. Web site: Owen Jones . The Guardian . London . 12 December 2016 . 11 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161211080125/https://www.theguardian.com/profile/owen-jones . live.
  10. News: The Marx effect . 23 April 2011 . Neather . Andrew . Evening Standard . London . 8 May 2012.
  11. Web site: Tattersall . Amanda . ChangeMakers . Jones . Owen . 2020 . Changemaker Chat with Owen Jones: The story behind one of the United Kingdom's most high profile left wing figure . live . 22 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220622080208/https://commonslibrary.org/changemaker-chat-with-owen-jones-the-story-behind-one-of-the-united-kingdoms-most-high-profile-left-wing-figure/ . 22 June 2022 . Commons Social Change Library.
  12. News: Book of the week: Chavs: the demonization of the working class by Owen Jones . 3 June 2011 . Cruddas . Jon . Jon Cruddas . The Independent . 15 September 2011 . London . https://web.archive.org/web/20110924140655/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/book-of-the-week-chavs-the-demonization-of-the-working-class-by-owen-jones-2292230.html . 24 September 2011 . live.
  13. Media . Stonewall . 27 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006081357/https://www.stonewall.org.uk/media/current_releases/8182.asp. 6 October 2014 . live.
  14. Web site: Owen Jones . David Higham . 27 August 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111201003903/http://www.davidhigham.co.uk/clients/Owen-Jones.htm . 1 December 2011.
  15. Crampton . Caroline . Watch: Lord Ashcroft tries to pwn Owen Jones, fails . New Statesman . London . 7 February 2013 . 19 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130216093117/http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/02/watch-lord-ashcroft-tries-pwn-owen-jones-fails . 16 February 2013. live . registration.
  16. Web site: The Royal Television Society Lecture 2013 – 'Totally Shameless: How TV Portrays the Working Class' . BBC . 24 November 2013 . 27 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221200005/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03jrw5l . 21 February 2014 . live.
  17. Book: This Land: The Story of a Movement . Penguin Books . 2020 . 978-0-241-47094-7.
  18. Daisy . Schofield . Owen Jones: I never wanted a Platform . 7 October 2020 . Huck Magazine . 19 December 2023.
  19. Len . McCluskey . 14 October 2020 . I had high hopes for Owen Jones's book on Corbynism. But I was disappointed . 19 December 2023 . New Statesman . London .
  20. Benn . Melissa . Books of the year - 2020 . 11 November 2020 . New Statesman . London . 19 December 2023.
  21. Web site: Wotherspoon . Jenny . People's Assembly: Writer Owen Jones Helps Build Nationwide Anti-Cuts Movement In The North East . 23 May 2013 . Sky . 25 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927180739/http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/article/67688/peoples-assembly-owen-jones-rallies-anti-cuts-support-in-newcastle . 27 September 2013.
  22. Web site: Owen Jones . Staffordshire University.
  23. News: BBC's Nicholas Witchell slammed over 'tasteless' speculation on Queen's health . Hamish . Morrison . The National . Glasgow . 8 September 2022 . 10 September 2022.
  24. Stroude . Will . Owen Jones: 'Whenever the far-right is strong, LGBTQ people are at risk' . 27 March 2024 . Attitude Magazine . 3 . Stream Publishing . 14 October 2019.
  25. Web site: Billson . Chantelle . Owen Jones explains how right-wing media is fuelling a transphobic 'cult' . 12 January 2024 . Pink News . London . 19 October 2022.
  26. News: Parson . Vic . Gay journalist Owen Jones says the vicious attack on him is proof the UK isn't fighting far-right extremism properly . Pink News . London . 27 March 2024 . 20 July 2020.
  27. 5 January 2016 . Owen Jones does #DryJanuary for Cancer Research UK . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112207/https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/22491/owen-jones-does-dryjanuary-for-cancer-research-uk/ . 4 March 2016 . 12 January 2016 . Gay Times . London .
  28. Lees . Paris . Paris Lees . 23 April 2015 . We won't fix society for trans people without strong allies . Attitude Magazine . dead . 27 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160322235106/http://attitude.co.uk/paris-lees-i-wont-apologise-for-including-trans-allies/ . 22 March 2016.
  29. News: 24 July 2020 . Man jailed for attacking journalist Owen Jones . BBC News . 24 July 2020 . 24 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200724201846/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-53532559 . live.
  30. News: Jones . Owen . 21 March 2024 . The Labour party is in my blood. Here's why I've just cancelled my membership . The Guardian . London . 23 March 2024.
  31. News: 21 March 2024 . Owen Jones urges Labour voters to back other parties . BBC News . 21 March 2024.
  32. News: 21 March 2024 . New political initiative aims to pose 'serious challenge' to Labour in England . 26 May 2024 . The National . Glasgow .
  33. News: Jones . Owen . 21 March 2024 . The Labour party is in my blood. Here's why I've just cancelled my membership . 26 May 2024 . The Guardian . London.

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