Former Assembly Members - Where are they now?
The journalist Matt Withers (Wales on Sunday) has recently been posting on the goings on of ex-Assembly Members.
To date, he's let readers of his blog know what is going on in the lives of former Culture Minister Alun Pugh, former Deputy Presiding Officer John Marek, and former back bencher Denise Idris Jones, who all lost their seats at the last Assembly election. I'm hoping that this will be an entire series that Matt is working on.
Being an ever helpful person, I've listed below all known ex-Assembly Members and wonder if anyone out there can assist Matt and I in our quest to find out more about our former members.
You will note that I haven't included David Davies MP, David Jones MP, Alun Michael MP and Dafydd Wigley as we all know what they've been doing since departure, due to media coverage. Alternatively, I've included Glyn Davies in the list even though regular readers of Welsh blogs will undoubtedly know what Glyn is up to. In fact, it is probably far easier to list what Glyn is not up to, as the man is a one-man army when it comes to 'projects'.
Fomer Assembly Members
(thanks to Wikipedia)
Conservative
Glyn Davies
(now President of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales, and prospective parliamentary candidate for Montgomeryshire)
Lisa Francis
(now studying tourism at Aberystwyth University)
Laura Anne Jones
(now campaigning to top the Welsh Conservative European list for Wales, and supposedly marketing Champagne)
Rod Richards
Peter Rogers
(stood as an Independent in Ynys Môn for the National Assembly for Wales elections in 2007)
Labour
Ron Davies
(now Chief Executive Officer of VALREC)
Tamsin Dunwoody
Richard Edwards
Sue Essex
(currently heading a WAG investigation into affordable housing. Rumoured to be joining the board of the Institute of Welsh Affairs.)
Delyth Evans
Christine Gwyther
(now a Member of the the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority)
Alison Halford
(joined the Conservatives in 2006. Wrote a book about her time at the Assembly, 'Leeks from the Backbenches')
Tom Middlehurst
Catherine Thomas
(now heading the Wales Women's National Coalition)
Liberal Democrat
Christine Humphreys
(now teaching Welsh part-time at Bangor University, and President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats)
Plaid Cymru
Cynog Dafis
(Soon after the elections in 2003, he announced his candidacy for Presidency of the party, but lost to Dafydd Iwan. Now retired to enjoy his life, and also sits on the steering committee for the All-Wales Convention)
Geraint Davies
(returned to his pharmacy practice)
Janet Davies
(retired from mainstream politics, but still involved in Plaid in her area. Has also joined the ranks of respected ex-politicians whose expertise will be called on to assist invarious reviews)
Brian Hancock
(went back to running his own business)
Pauline Jarman
(Returned to being a Rhondda Cynon Taf Councillor)
Owen John Thomas
(still active in Plaid in Cardiff)
I've tagged Bethan Jenkins AM, Alun Cairns AM, Peter Black AM and Huw Lewis AM, together with the BBC Political Editors Betsan Powys and Vaughan Roderick in the hope that either they or one of their staff can help.
Please let us know what you, or even they are doing now. We're curious and would like to know.
Posts
21 comments:
Ron Davies is CEO of VALREC
I think Laura Anne Jones is attempting to become a MEP.
Peter Rogers was last seen wandering the fields of Anglesey at dusk, moaning loudly. Some say he has taken a steamer to America where he lives the life of a hobo, some say he has joined the ranks of the Undead of Rhostrehwfa. Some even say that heis asllep in a cave under the Menai duspension Bridge awaiting the next assembly elections...
Sanddef, you could try to narrow it down a little.
I bumped into Laura Anne Jones in the Assembly last week, she is indeed campaigning to top the Tory Euro list for Wales.
Lisa Francis has gone back to College (Aberystwyth University I believe) though I forget what course she is sitting, though she did tell me. She will be in Cardiff next week for the HTV Politician of the Year awards.
Christine Humpreys is teaching Welsh part time at Bangor University as well as now being President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.
I heard that Brian Hancock has hit hard times financially but cannot verify that.
Janet Davies has joined the ranks of respected ex-politicians whose expertise will be called on to assist invarious reviews, as has Sue Essex of course, who is currently heading a WAG investigation into affordable housing and enjoying every moment when I met her to discuss this project.
Don't you just love the way that AMs both present and former continue to blow smoke up each others backsides. A couple of terms in the Assembly doesn't qualify you to do anything. Yet another investigation into affordable housing.What homeess people and young people who can't get on the housing ladder require is action not naother reviewby the great and the good of the welsh political class. It's simple the government will not allow councils to build houses and there isn't enough money available any way. If the rumours are also correct re carbon neutral housing with Wales as usual going for a stricter regime than England for politically correct reasons then the assembly in the future will also ensure that marginal areas will not be available for housing development in the valleys.
Catherine Thomas is heading the Wales Women's National Coalition, Laura Ann Jones is supposedly marketing champagne- according to Lisa Francis anyway, Lisa Francis is studying tourism at Aber,Janet Davies is still involved in Plaid in her area but I'm not sure if she plans to expand on her work,owen john thomas is active in Plaid in Cardiff.
Dimwit and luddite that I am...can you explain tagging? I just came across this on comments!
Thank you all for the comments and update - haven't got many to go.
Vaughan - I find that hard to believe (if that is you) :)
Tagging is a way for you to notice that I've linked to your site, so that you can then refer to mine (usually via technorati). If that is you, I'm sure that you know everything there is to know about Welsh poltics and politicians.
MW - Thanks for this - an interesting peice of background. And an important link to the story on Marek to remind us of what/who we certainly don't miss in the new Assembly term...
Only Rod Richards,Tamsin Dunwoody,
Richard Edwards,Delyth Evans and Tom Middlehurst remain.
Rod Richards - anyone checked Cardiff park benches?
Tom Middlehurst - writes occasional letters to the papers, which makes him a bit more effective than he was as a Minister.
Tamsin Dunwoody - wants to be an MP?
Richard Edwards retired because of ill health I think.
Delyth Evans retired to spend more time with her family so presumably she's still doing that.
Serious answers please. I want to be able to close this post and move on :)
How about a missing in action post? Some of our current AM's seemed to have moved onto to pasteurs new without telling their constituents!
I cannot rest until Rod Richards,Tamsin Dunwoody, Richard Edwards,Delyth Evans and Tom Middlehurst have been completed.
Sue Essex is joining the board of the Institute of Welsh Affairs.
Oh, by the way, Cynog Dafis is on the steering committee for the All-Wales Convention.
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