Bethan Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Bethan Jenkins AM  is a Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 politician, born in Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...

, Wales, who has represented the South Wales West Region for Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...

 as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 2007
National Assembly for Wales election, 2007
The 2007 National Assembly election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. It was the third general election. On the same day local elections in England and Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament election took place...

.

Background

Bethan Jenkins grew up in the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 town of Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...

 where her parents were involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....

 of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Her brother is the journalist and broadcaster Ciaran Jenkins.

She is a former pupil of Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, near Pontypridd. Her father is the poet Mike Jenkins
Mike Jenkins (poet)
Mike Jenkins is a poet, story writer and novelist. Born in Aberystwyth, Jenkins was educated at the University College of Wales.Work...

, a previous winner of the John Tripp award. As well as being politically active, she enjoys music. Bethan was in the National Youth Orchestra of Wales
National Youth Orchestra of Wales
The National Youth Orchestra of Wales , founded in 1945, has the distinction of being the first national youth orchestra in the world and is Europe’s longest-standing national youth orchestra....

 for three years, and the Welsh language folk/pop band Gilespi. She has also been an outspoken Republican and along side her Plaid Cymru colleague, Leanne Wood
Leanne Wood
Leanne Wood AM , is a Welsh politician, born in the Rhondda, Wales, who has represented the South Wales Central region for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 2003. Wood is known as a republican and socialist....

 are members of the group Republic
Republic (political organisation)
Republic is a British non-partisan republican pressure group advocating the replacement of the United Kingdom's monarchy with a democratically-elected head of state....

. Bethan also enjoys sport, and was a lifeguard for many years. She now lives in Rhos, Pontardawe.

Aberystwyth Guild of Students

Bethan studied International Politics and International History at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...

. Through student politics, she was elected to the Aberystwyth Guild of Students executive, first as Women’s Officer, then as Campaigns, Communications and Equal Opportunities Officer. In 2004, she was elected as Guild President.

Cymru X

Whilst working as President of the Aberystwyth Guild of Students, Bethan saw Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...

 suffer defeat in Ceredigion. After leaving Aberystwyth University, Bethan worked in the office of Leanne Wood AM
Leanne Wood
Leanne Wood AM , is a Welsh politician, born in the Rhondda, Wales, who has represented the South Wales Central region for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 2003. Wood is known as a republican and socialist....

 and used her contacts there to set up the organisation Cymru X
Cymru X
CymruX is the youth wing of Plaid Cymru, a political party in Wales.-Origins:CymruX was founded in 2005 to merge Plaid Cymru's two existing movements in to one new youth movement. The student federation 'the ffed' and the youth movement were merged to create a brand new youth organisation...

. Cymru X launched the first ever interactive text referendum on a Parliament for Wales, as well as campaigns against nuclear arms. Glyn Wise from Big Brother fame also took part in a campaign alongside Cymru X to encourage young people to vote prior to the National Assembly election in 2007.

2007 National Assembly of Wales elections

In March 2006, Bethan Jenkins was selected as Plaid Cymru's lead candidate for the South West Wales Regional list and was duly elected in the subsequent elections of May 2007
National Assembly for Wales election, 2007
The 2007 National Assembly election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. It was the third general election. On the same day local elections in England and Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament election took place...

. At the age of 25, she was the youngest Assembly Member elected in the third term of the National Assembly.

Bethan is Plaid Cymru's Child Poverty and Culture Spokesperson for the Plaid Cymru group at the National Assembly and sits on the Communities and Culture committee, Audit committee. legislation committee 4, and the newly formed Petitions Committee. She is chairperson for the Assembly's Cross Party Eating Disorder Group and has recently formed a new cross party group on human rights.

External links


Office held

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK