Jo Stevens was first elected as the Labour MP for Cardiff Central in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 17,179. She once described her first day at Westminster as like her first day at university.
Cardiff Central contains the Cathays, Roath, Adamstown, and Pentwyn districts of Cardiff It covers the centre of the Welsh capital including the castle, the central shopping district, Cardiff University and the Millennium Stadium. Formerly a three way marginal seat held by all the major parties between 1983 and 2015, this seat has now become a Labour stronghold in recent years. A quarter of the electorate are said to be students, with over a tenth being of Asian descent. It was once represented in Parliament by the Speaker, George Thomas.
Stevens currently serves as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, a position she has held since November 2021. She was formerly the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
She backed Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Leadership election, alongside Owen Smith in his 2016 challenge to Jeremy Corbyn.
An opponent of Brexit she resigned from the Labour frontbench in 2017 to vote against the triggering of article 50 that formally led to Britain leaving the European Union.
In 2021 she was treated in hospital with coronavirus. She is one of a number of MPs, including the Prime Minister, known to have been hospitalised with the illness.
Born in 1966, Stephens was educated at Manchester University, and worked as a solicitor and director at Thompsons Solicitors before being elected to Parliament.
Stephens is a sports fan. She supports and attends games of the various Cardiff teams: the Cardiff Blues rugby team, Cardiff FC (where she is a season ticket holder), and Glamorgan Cricket. She also likes darts.
Stevens has two grown up children.
Jo Stephens is the Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Beer, Darts, Football Supporters, Haemophillia, Students, and Columbia. She is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Occupational Safety and Health; and Showing Racism the Red Card.
Email: jo.stevens.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.jostevens.co.uk/
Twitter: @JoStevensLabour
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JoStevensLabour?_rdr=p
