Kevan Jones was first elected as the Labour MP for Durham North in 2001, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 4,742.
The North Durham constituency is a relatively compact seat found to the north of the County of Durham. It is focussed around the towns of Chester-le-Street, Stanley, and Sacriston. Some three fifths of the local electorate backed Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. In the 2019 General Election, the Labour vote in this part of the north east of England fell by a sizeable 15%, but it was not enough to unseat the party. This area of Durham has been represented by Labour continuously since the Second World War.
Kevan Jones was Under Secretary of State for Veterans in the Brown government (2008-2010) and served as Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces between 2010 and 2016.
Born in Nottinghamshire in 1964, Kevan Jones is the son of a miner. He went to a comprehensive school in Worksop and graduated in government and public policy at Newcastle Polytechnic.
Prior to being elected to Parliament himself, he had worked as as parliamentary assistant to Nick Brown MP. He also worked for the GMB Union as a political officer, regional organiser and finally as a senior national organiser. During his time at the GMB, Jones led the union’s campaign for compensation for the industrial victims of asbestos.
Jones was a councillor on Newcastle City Council between 1990 and 2001. On the council he was a Cabinet member for development, Chief Whip and committee chairman on development and transport and public health.
In 2012 Mr Jones discussed his own mental-health challenges during a Commons debate, encouraging others to do the same. This was later followed by the development of an in-house counselling service for MPs and their staff.
Kevan Jones supported Sir Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour leadership election. Previously he supported supported Owen Smith in his 2016 challenge to Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership. He backed Andy Burnham in the 2015 contest.
In 2004 he successfully piloted a Private Member’s Bill on to the statute book, the Christmas Day Trading Act (2004), which prevents big stores from opening on Christmas Day.
Kevan Jones is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Shipbuilding and Ship Repair; and Veterans. He is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Blockchain; Phontonics and Quantum; Post Offices; Technology and National Security; Trans Atlantic Trade; and War Heritage.
Email: kevanjonesmp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.kevanjonesmp.org.uk/
Twitter: @KevanJonesMP
