Jonathan Evans
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Peter Evans FRSA (born 2 June 1950) is a Welsh
solicitor
and Conservative Party
politician. He has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Cardiff North
since winning the seat at the 2010 general election.
After training as a solicitor, he was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire
between 1992 and 1997, and then Member of the European Parliament
for Wales
between 1999 and 2009.
, Evans was educated at Lewis School, Pengam
, Howardian High School, Cardiff
and the Law Society's
College of Law
in Guildford and London. He trained with solicitors Leo Abse and Cohen in Cardiff from 1968 and joined the firm upon qualification in 1973 rising to Managing Partner in 1987. In 1997, he was appointed Director of Insurance in the City of London
office of Eversheds
, the major global law firm and remains a consultant to the practice. He has also acted as a consultant on London Insurance market issues to several major North American insurance corporations.
He is a former Deputy Chairman of the Welsh Housing Corporation (Tai Cymru). In 1995 he was appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
in the marginal Brecon and Radnorshire
constituency, but lost by 56 votes to the sitting Liberal
MP Richard Livsey.
At the 1992 general election
, he defeated Livsey (who was now a Liberal Democrat) by 130 votes and took his seat in the House of Commons
. He was a junior minister in the John Major
government, serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor
; Corporate Affairs Minister at the Department of Trade and Industry; and then serving under William Hague
as Under Secretary of State for Wales from 1996 to 1997. However, at the 1997 general election
Livsey retook the seat with a majority of over 5,000.
At the European Parliament election, 1999, Evans was elected as MEP
for Wales in 1999, and he was re-elected at the 2004 Euro-elections. He was Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament from 2001 until 2004. In August 2007, he was selected to fight the highly marginal seat of Cardiff North
in the 2010 general election. He won and is currently MP for the constituency, turning a majority of 1,146 votes for Labour
into a 194 vote majority for himself.
Jonathan Evans stood down from the European Parliament at the 2009 elections
and was succeeded by Kay Swinburne
, MEP.
He is a supporter of Cardiff City Football Club and Cardiff Blues Rugby Club.
A roman Catholic, he is a leading pro-life campaigner for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children and launched their Welsh office in Cardiff in the 1990s
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...
solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He has been the 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,...
(MP) for Cardiff North
Cardiff North (UK Parliament constituency)
Cardiff North is aborough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
since winning the seat at the 2010 general election.
After training as a solicitor, he was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire
Brecon and Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Brecon and Radnorshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1918, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election; until 1997 its name was simply Brecon and Radnor.The Brecon and Radnorshire Welsh...
between 1992 and 1997, and then Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for Wales
Wales (European Parliament constituency)
Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 4 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
between 1999 and 2009.
Professional career
Born in TredegarTredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
, Evans was educated at Lewis School, Pengam
Lewis School, Pengam
Lewis School, Pengam is a comprehensive school founded in 1729 in the town of Pengam and, latterly, nearby Gilfach, in the Rhymney Valley in south Wales.- Location :...
, Howardian High School, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and the Law Society's
Law Society of England and Wales
The Law Society is the professional association that represents the solicitors' profession in England and Wales. It provides services and support to practising and training solicitors as well as serving as a sounding board for law reform. Members of the Society are often consulted when important...
College of Law
The College of Law
The College of Law of England and Wales is a private educational institution in England and a registered charity which provides legal education for students and professionals.-20th century:...
in Guildford and London. He trained with solicitors Leo Abse and Cohen in Cardiff from 1968 and joined the firm upon qualification in 1973 rising to Managing Partner in 1987. In 1997, he was appointed Director of Insurance in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
office of Eversheds
Eversheds
Eversheds LLP is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the 50 largest law firms in the world measured by revenues. In 2009/10 it achieved total revenues of £355.2 million, making it the ninth-largest UK-based law firm by this measurement, and profits per...
, the major global law firm and remains a consultant to the practice. He has also acted as a consultant on London Insurance market issues to several major North American insurance corporations.
He is a former Deputy Chairman of the Welsh Housing Corporation (Tai Cymru). In 1995 he was appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Political career
He contested the 1987 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
in the marginal Brecon and Radnorshire
Brecon and Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Brecon and Radnorshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1918, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election; until 1997 its name was simply Brecon and Radnor.The Brecon and Radnorshire Welsh...
constituency, but lost by 56 votes to the sitting Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
MP Richard Livsey.
At the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, he defeated Livsey (who was now a Liberal Democrat) by 130 votes and took his seat in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. He was a junior minister in the John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
government, serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
; Corporate Affairs Minister at the Department of Trade and Industry; and then serving under William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
as Under Secretary of State for Wales from 1996 to 1997. However, at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
Livsey retook the seat with a majority of over 5,000.
At the European Parliament election, 1999, Evans was elected as MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for Wales in 1999, and he was re-elected at the 2004 Euro-elections. He was Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament from 2001 until 2004. In August 2007, he was selected to fight the highly marginal seat of Cardiff North
Cardiff North (UK Parliament constituency)
Cardiff North is aborough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
in the 2010 general election. He won and is currently MP for the constituency, turning a majority of 1,146 votes for Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
into a 194 vote majority for himself.
Jonathan Evans stood down from the European Parliament at the 2009 elections
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
and was succeeded by Kay Swinburne
Kay Swinburne
Jacqueline Kay Swinburne is a Welsh politician. She is a Conservative Member of the European Parliament for Wales.-Background:...
, MEP.
Personal life
Evans is married to Margaret, and has three children (Angharad, Rhianydd and Nicholas).He is a supporter of Cardiff City Football Club and Cardiff Blues Rugby Club.
A roman Catholic, he is a leading pro-life campaigner for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children and launched their Welsh office in Cardiff in the 1990s
External links
- Jonathan Evans MP official constituency website
- Jonathan Evans MP Conservative Party profile
- Jonathan Evans MP Welsh Conservative Party profile