Jo Stevens
Joanna Meriel Stevens[1](born 6 September 1966)[2]is a Welsh politician serving asSecretary of State for Walessince 2024. A member of theLabour Party,she has been aMember of Parliament(MP) since 2015, representingCardiff Eastsince 2024, having previously representedCardiff Central.[3][4]
Stevens previously served as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales from 2016 to 2017, and again from 2021 to 2024, and wasShadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sportfrom 2020 to 2021.
Early life and career[edit]
Stevens was born inSwansea,West Glamorgan,Walesand grew up inMynydd Isa,Flintshire,where she attendedArgoed High SchoolandElfed High School.[5]
She studiedlawatManchester Universityand completed the Solicitors' Professional Examination atManchester Polytechnicin 1989.[6]
Prior to becoming an MP, Stevens was People and Organisation Director ofThompsons Solicitors.[5]
Member of Parliament[edit]
Stevens was elected as MP forCardiff Centralon 7 May 2015 with a majority of 4,981, defeating incumbent Liberal Democrat MPJenny Willott.[3]
In 2014 she accused her then Liberal Democrat opponent Jenny Willott of having "neglected her constituency" by taking a ministerial role.[7]In a 2015 interview Stevens said that, if elected, she'd be "happy as a backbench MP" adding she was "not a professional politician."[8]Stevens later went on to serve in the shadow cabinets of Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer.
InJeremy Corbyn's January 2016 reshuffle, she was appointed shadowsolicitor generaland shadowjustice minister.She supportedOwen Smithin the2016 Labour Party leadership election.In the October 2016 reshuffle, after Corbyn's re-election as party leader, Stevens becameShadow Secretary of State for Wales.[9]An opponent ofBrexit,she resigned as a shadow minister on 27 January 2017 in order to vote against triggeringArticle 50 of the Treaty on European Union,in defiance of athree-line whipthat obliged Labour MPs to vote in favour.[10]In March 2019, Stevens voted against the Labour Party whip and in favour of an amendment tabled by members ofThe Independent Groupfor a second public vote on Brexit.[11]
Stevens chairs theGMBparliamentary group, which ensures that issues of importance to members of the GMB trade union are raised in the House of Commons.
Stevens supportedKeir Starmerin the2020 Labour Party leadership election.[12][13]He subsequently appointed herShadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,shadowingOliver Dowden.On 29 November 2021, she was reshuffled back to the position ofShadow Secretary of State for Walesby Keir Starmer.[14]
In 2023, Stevens' office was defaced by protestors after she abstained on a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. She described the incident as 'intimidating'.[15]
In the2024 United Kingdom general election,she was selected to contest the newCardiff Eastconstituency, afterCardiff Centralwas abolished.[16]She won the seat, with a majority of 9,097 votes.[4]Stevens was appointedSecretary of State for Walesin thefirst cabinet of Keir Starmerfollowing the 2024 election.[17]
Stevens was sworn into thePrivy Councilon 10 July 2024, entitling her to be styled "The Right Honourable"for life.[18]
Political positions[edit]
Stevens is aunionist.[19]She has opposeddevolution of policing and justice,[20]oflegal gender recognition,[21]and full devolution of the post-BrexitShared Prosperity Fundto the Senedd.[22]
She opposedBrexit,describing herself as a "passionate European" in 2017.[23]She has called for the introduction of legislation penalising social media companies that fail to tackle disinformation.[24]She has supported introducingautomatic voter registrationupon receiving anational insurance numberand lowering of thevoting ageto 16.[25]
Personal life[edit]
In January 2021 Stevens was treated in hospital forCOVID-19.[26]
References[edit]
- ^"No. 61230".The London Gazette.18 May 2015. p. 9127.
- ^"Jo Stevens MP".myparliament.info.MyParliament.Archivedfrom the original on 11 August 2017.Retrieved11 August2017.
- ^ab"Cardiff Central Parliamentary constituency".BBC News.BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 8 May 2015.Retrieved8 May2015.
- ^ab"Cardiff East – General election results 2024".BBC News.Retrieved5 July2024.
- ^ab"Democracy Club CVs".Democracy Club.Archivedfrom the original on 18 May 2015.Retrieved8 May2015.[failed verification]
- ^"Jo Stevens – About".Jo Stevens MP.Archivedfrom the original on 10 May 2015.Retrieved8 May2015.
- ^ITV News (4 November 2014)."Cardiff MP Jenny Willott quits government role".ITV News.Retrieved21 December2018.
- ^David Deans (5 April 2015)."General Election 2015: Meet the women set to vie for one of Wales' tightest marginals".WalesOnline.Retrieved21 December2018.
- ^"As it happened: Steven Woolfe in hospital and Labour reshuffle".BBC News.6 October 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 7 October 2016.Retrieved6 October2016.
- ^Elgot, Jessica (27 January 2017)."Labour MP Jo Stevens quits shadow cabinet over article 50 vote".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 27 January 2017.Retrieved27 January2017.
- ^Mosalski, Ruth (14 March 2019)."Brexit latest: The Welsh MPs who voted for a second referendum".Wales Online.
- ^"My nomination for the next Labour Leader | Jo Stevens MP".Retrieved12 March2020.
- ^"Labour leadership: Who are Welsh MPs backing?".BBC News.13 January 2020.Retrieved12 March2020.
- ^Stevens, Jo [@JoStevensLabour] (29 November 2021)."I'm moving Shadow Cabinet jobs from DCMS to Wales"(Tweet).Retrieved29 November2021– viaTwitter.
- ^"Labour MP Jo Stevens's office vandalised after Gaza vote".BBC News.17 November 2023.Retrieved29 May2024.
- ^"Cardiff East Constituency Candidates – General Election 2024".BBC News.Retrieved20 June2024.
- ^"Who is the new Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens?".ITV News.ITV. 5 July 2024.Retrieved7 July2024.
- ^"List of Business – 10 July 2024"(PDF).Privy Council Office. 10 July 2024.Retrieved11 July2024.
- ^"'I don't like nationalism', because it's 'insular' says Shadow Welsh Secretary ".Nation.Cymru.15 February 2022.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^Deans, David (18 June 2024)."Labour won't 'fiddle' with police powers – Stevens".BBC News.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^"Welsh shadow minister accused of undermining devolution".Nation.Cymru.17 February 2023.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^Deans, David (14 June 2024)."UK would partly control Wales Brexit cash – Labour".BBC News.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^Cohen, Tamara (27 January 2017)."Jo Stevens quits shadow cabinet over Corbyn's Brexit stance".Sky News.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^Helm, Toby (15 November 2020)."Social media firms must face sanction for 'anti-vax content', demands Labour".The Guardian.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^Williamson, David (15 November 2017)."A Welsh MP is bidding to make a law to automatically register everyone to vote".Wales Online.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^"Jo Stevens: Labour's shadow culture secretary in hospital with COVID-19".Sky News.2 January 2021.Retrieved2 January2021.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- ProfileatParliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in ParliamentatHansard
- Voting recordatPublic Whip
- Record in ParliamentatTheyWorkForYou
| Cabinet members |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Also attending meetings | ||
| 1964–1970 | | |
|---|---|---|
| 1970–1974 | ||
| 1974–1979 | ||
| 1979–1997 | ||
| 1997–2010 | ||
| 2010–2024 | ||
| 2024–present | ||
- 1966 births
- Living people
- 21st-century British women politicians
- Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Welsh constituencies
- Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University
- Alumni of the Victoria University of Manchester
- Welsh Labour MPs
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Cardiff constituencies
- UK MPs 2015–2017
- UK MPs 2017–2019
- UK MPs 2019–2024
- UK MPs 2024–present
- British abortion-rights activists
- Politicians from Swansea
- Politicians from Cardiff
- People from Mold, Flintshire
- Secretaries of State for Wales
- Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East
- Female members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom