Janice Gregory
Encyclopedia
Janice Gregory AM is a Welsh Labour politician, who has represented the constituency of Ogmore
since the National Assembly for Wales
was established in 1999. Her main contribution to the Assembly has been through chairing the Social Justice and Regeneration Committee.
, the daughter of Sir Ray Powell, who was Labour Party Member of Parliament
for Ogmore
from 1979. She was educated at Bridgend Grammar School for Girls and worked as Constituency Secretary to her father from 1991, while also being active in the local Constituency Labour Party
in which she was Women's Officer and Chair of the Ogmore Women's Forum. Several other members of the family were also active in Labour politics.
in the Assembly. Together with three other whips, Gregory resigned this position in February 2000 after Alun Michael
resigned as First Minister. Newspapers speculated that the three, being loyal to Michael, were unwilling to continue serving under Andrew Davies
who had plotted to get rid of him.
.
Ogmore (National Assembly for Wales constituency)
Ogmore is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of seven constituencies in the South Wales West electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to seven...
since the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
was established in 1999. Her main contribution to the Assembly has been through chairing the Social Justice and Regeneration Committee.
Family
Gregory was born in TreorchyTreorchy
Treorchy is a village, although it used to be and still has characteristics of a town, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr valley...
, the daughter of Sir Ray Powell, who was Labour Party Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Ogmore
Ogmore (UK Parliament constituency)
Ogmore is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Boundaries :Taking its name from the River Ogmore, the constituency is situated close to the source of the river in the Ogwr valley and excludes the village of Ogmore-by-Sea, which is the...
from 1979. She was educated at Bridgend Grammar School for Girls and worked as Constituency Secretary to her father from 1991, while also being active in the local Constituency Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
in which she was Women's Officer and Chair of the Ogmore Women's Forum. Several other members of the family were also active in Labour politics.
Election to the National Assembly
In 1999 Gregory was selected as Labour candidate for the same constituency as her father for the election to the National Assembly for Wales. She easily held the seat and was appointed as a Labour group whipWhip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the Assembly. Together with three other whips, Gregory resigned this position in February 2000 after Alun Michael
Alun Michael
Alun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
resigned as First Minister. Newspapers speculated that the three, being loyal to Michael, were unwilling to continue serving under Andrew Davies
Andrew Davies (politician)
Andrew Davies, AM is a Welsh Labour politician, who represents the constituency of Swansea West in the National Assembly for Wales. Davies was born in Hereford to Welsh parents; his mother is from Llandeilo and his father from Holywell, Flintshire...
who had plotted to get rid of him.
Politics in the Assembly
Gregory rebelled against the Labour administration in June 2000 when she voted in favour of a building a landmark headquarters building for the Assembly. She called on former cabinet minister Ron Davies to resign when it was revealed he had applied for jobs outside politics without informing the Labour leadership. When her father suddenly died in December 2001, Gregory immediately declined to seek selection to follow him. The death of Sir Ray Powell raised questions over whether Gregory would be reselected herself, but she managed to survive and was re-elected in the 2003 election with a 6,504 majority.Social Justice committee
She was then made Chair of the Social Justice and Regeneration Committee. She was described by the Western Mail as a "well below par performer by our reckoning" and given a rating of 4 marks out of ten in its assessment of the Assembly Members at the end of the 2003-07 term. However, she increased her majority in the 2007 electionNational 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...
.