Donna Jones (British politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Donna Jones

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

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| office = Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner

| term_start = 13 May 2021

| term_end =

| predecessor = Michael Lane

| successor =

| office1 = Leader of the Portsmouth City Council

| term_start1 = 4 June 2014

| term_end1 = 12 June 2018

| predecessor1 = Gerald Vernon-Jackson (LD)

| successor1 = Gerald Vernon-Jackson (LD)

| office2 = Member of Portsmouth City Council for Hilsea Ward

| term_start2 = 1 May 2008

| term_end2 = 6 May 2021

| predecessor2 = Jeremy Baler (Con)

| successor2 = Daniel Wemyss (Con)

| party = Conservative

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| citizenship = British

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Donna Jones is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner since 2021.{{Cite news|date=2021-05-10|title=Conservative Donna Jones elected Hampshire police commissioner|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-57062731|access-date=2021-05-11}} She was the youngest member of the judiciary in England and Wales when appointed to be a magistrate in 2005.{{cite web|url=https://lga.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s38519/04%20Donna%20Jones%20-%20Lead%20on%20Victims%20and%20Serious%20Organised%20Crime%20for%20APPC.pdf|title=National Lead for Victims and Serious Organised Crime for the Association for Police and Crime Commissioners}}

Early life and education

Jones was born in May 1977{{cite web | url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/A50MIWngF1odieLrkvwiDT44ib8/appointments | title=Donna JONES personal appointments|website= GOV.UK}} in Portsmouth.{{cite web | url=https://www.gosportconservatives.org/event/police-crime-commissioner-donna-jones-jp | title=Police & Crime Commissioner – Donna Jones JP }} She was educated in Portsmouth, attending Havant College and a local further education college, where she passed three A levels.

Political career

Jones was a councillor for Hilsea on Portsmouth City Council from 1 May 2008 to 6 May 2021. From June 2014 to June 2018, she was Leader of the council, taking over from Gerald Vernon-Jackson, a Liberal Democrat, when there was a change of political control. He returned to the job in 2018.

While she was leader of the Conservative administration at Portsmouth council, Jones advised Portsmouth F.C. as strategic stadium development consultant.{{Cite web|url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/planning-chiefs-decide-future-portsmouths-iconic-fratton-park-floodlights-971749|title=Planning chiefs to decide future of Portsmouth's iconic Fratton Park floodlights|website=The News|date=22 May 2019}} The council also launched an energy company, Victory Energy, which entered into a £100,000 sponsorship deal with Portsmouth F.C.{{Cite web|url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/business/defunct-portsmouth-city-council-owned-victory-energy-spent-nearly-ps100000-on-portsmouth-fc-sponsorship-deal-1308614|title=Defunct Portsmouth City Council-owned Victory Energy spent nearly £100,000 on Portsmouth FC sponsorship deal|website=The News|date=1 October 2019}} In 2020 Victory Energy was wound up with losses of £3.5 million, following attempts by the council to sell the company.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-54552541|title=Portsmouth City Council-owned Victory Energy shuts|work=BBC News |date=15 October 2020}}

In the 2019 general election, while still serving as a councillor, Jones was the unsuccessful Conservative candidate in Portsmouth South. During the campaign, she received criticism from political opponents for flying in a plane over the constituency, with a banner attached stating "Vote Donna Jones - Get Brexit Done", instead of attending a candidates' hustings on climate change.{{Cite web|title= Portsmouth South candidates stick boot into Donna Jones for missing climate change hustings after she is accused of 'flying plane over city telling people to vote for her'|url= https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/politics/portsmouth-south-candidates-stick-boot-donna-jones-missing-climate-change-hustings-after-she-accused-flying-plane-over-city-telling-people-vote-her-1335354|access-date=2021-05-11|website=The News, Portsmouth|language=en}}

Jones remained as a councillor and as leader of the Conservative group in Portsmouth until the 2021 Portsmouth City Council election on 6 May, when she stood down. However, in the 2021 England and Wales police and crime commissioner elections on the same day, Jones was elected as Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.{{Cite web|title=Conservative candidate Donna Jones made PCC for Isle of Wight|url=https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/19292668.conservative-candidate-donna-jones-made-pcc-isle-wight/|access-date=2021-05-11|website=Isle of Wight County Press|date=10 May 2021 |language=en}} Jones was re-elected in the 2024 election.{{Cite web |date=4 May 2024 |title=Police and Crime Commissioner Elections 2024: Results in the South East, South and Thames Valley |url=https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-05-03/pcc-elections-2024-results-in-the-south-east-south-and-thames-valley |website=ITV News}}

On 3 August 2024, in response to riots in some UK cities, she issued a media release which the Independent reported "appears to justify far-right riots", in which she said: "I've spoken to people from both sides of the spectrum and the only way to stem the tide of violent disorder is to acknowledge what is causing it", continuing, "Arresting people, or creating violent disorder units, is treating the symptom and not the cause".{{cite news |last1=Maddox |first1=David |title=Tory police and crime commissioner appears to justify far-right riots |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-police-crime-commissioner-statement-riots-b2590879.html# |access-date=4 August 2024 |publisher=Independent |date=4 August 2024}} She also linked the disturbances to what she said is "mass uncontrolled immigration", and said that the rioters were seeking to "uphold British values".{{cite news |title=Only way to stop protests is to acknowledge the cause, says UK's most senior Police Commissioner |url=https://conservativepost.co.uk/only-way-to-stop-protests-is-to-acknowledge-the-cause-says-uks-most-senior-police-commissioner/ |access-date=4 August 2024 |publisher=Conservative Post |date=4 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://onthewight.com/police-and-crime-commissioner-addresses-the-uks-surge-in-protests-and-calls-for-calm/ |title=Police and Crime Commissioner addresses the UK's surge in protests and calls for calm|publisher=OnTheWight |accessdate=4 August 2024|date=3 August 2024}} This media release was subsequently removed from the Police and Crime Commission's website, having generated widespread criticism, including calls for Jones to resign.{{cite web|url= https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/24496576.donna-jones-criticised-comments-southport-protests/|date=4 August 2024|accessdate=4 August 2024|title= Donna Jones criticised for comments on Southport protests|website=www.countrypress.co.uk}}

On 13 March 2025, she announced her plans to run to be the first Mayor of Hampshire and the Solent.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-13 |title=Top police boss makes major announcement over her future as she eyes up new job |url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/politics/devolution-hampshire-police-and-crime-commissioner-donna-jones-wants-to-become-regions-first-mayor-5030499 |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=The News |language=en}}

Electoral history

= Police and Crime Commissioner =

{{Election box supplementary vote begin

| title = 2021 Hampshire police and crime commissioner election}}{{Cite web | title=All ballots in current or future Elections |website=Democracy Club Candidates |url=https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/elections/|accessdate=2 October 2019}}{{cite web| url = https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/politics/hampshire-police-and-crime-commissioner-election-candidates-labour-liberal-democrats-and-conservatives-3082623| title = Hampshire police and crime commissioner election candidates for Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives| website = The News| date = 3 January 2021}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.southampton.gov.uk/images/result-of-first-count_tcm63-443495.pdf |title=Result of First Count - Police and Crime Commissioner election on Thursday, 6 May 2021, Hampshire Police Area |access-date=2021-05-11 |archive-date=2021-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510182648/http://www.southampton.gov.uk/images/result-of-first-count_tcm63-443495.pdf |url-status=dead }}

{{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

| candidate = Donna Jones

| fullwidthvotes = 312993

| r1votes = 262667

| r1votespercent = 49.84

| r2votes = 50326

| totalpercent = 68.23%

}}

{{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link

| party = Labour and Co-operative

| candidate = Tony Bunday

| fullwidthvotes = 312993

| r1votes = 101832

| r1votespercent = 19.32

| r2votes = 43919

| totalpercent = 31.77%

}}

{{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link

| party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

| candidate = Richard Murphy

| fullwidthvotes = 312993

| r1votes = 93581

| r1votespercent = 17.76

}}

{{Election box supplementary vote candidate

| party = Hampshire Independents

| candidate = Steve James-Bailey

| fullwidthvotes = 312993

| r1votes = 68895

| r1votespercent = 13.07

}}

{{Election box supplementary vote turnout

| votes = 526,975

| percentage = 36.19%

}}

{{Election box supplementary vote hold

| winner = Conservative Party (UK)

| loser =

}}

Donna Jones won every counting area in Hampshire,{{Cite web|title=Results of second count - PCC election 2021|url=http://www.southampton.gov.uk/images/result-of-second-count_tcm63-444495.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205815/http://www.southampton.gov.uk/images/result-of-second-count_tcm63-444495.pdf |archive-date=2021-06-24 }} with the closest being the traditionally-Labour City of Southampton, where she won by 877 votes.

= Parliamentary =

{{Election box begin|title=General election 2019: Portsmouth South{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000884 |title=Portsmouth South |website=BBC News |access-date=23 November 2019}}}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Stephen Morgan|votes=23,068|percentage=48.6|change=+7.6}}{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Donna Jones|votes=17,705|percentage=37.3|change=-0.3}}{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=Gerald Vernon-Jackson|votes=5,418|percentage=11.4|change=-5.9}}{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Brexit Party|candidate=John Kennedy|votes=994|percentage=2.1|change=New}}{{Election box candidate with party link|party=The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party|candidate=Steven George|votes=240|percentage=0.5|change=New}}

{{Election box majority|votes=5,363|percentage=11.3|change=+7.9}}

{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Labour Party (UK)|swing=+3.9}}

= Portsmouth City Council =

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Donna Jones*

|votes = 1,566

|percentage = 54.6

|change = +10.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Silvi Veale

|votes = 922

|percentage = 32.1

|change = -9.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Julie Spurgeon

|votes = 380

|percentage = 13.2

|change = -0.7

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 644

|percentage = 22.5

|change = +19.8

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 2,868

|percentage = 27.9

|change = +1.6

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = 9.9% Lab to Con

}}

{{Election box begin | title=Hilsea Ward, 2012{{cite news | url=http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/24626.html | title=Hilsea | access-date=2012-05-05 | date=2012-05-04 | publisher=Portsmouth.gov.uk | archive-date=2012-05-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508223022/http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/24626.html | url-status=dead }}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Donna Jones

|votes = 1,207

|percentage = 44.4

|change = -16.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Sue Castillon

|votes = 1,133

|percentage = 41.7

|change = +22.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Simon Dodd

|votes = 379

|percentage = 13.9

|change = +1.9

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 74

|percentage = 2.7

|change = -39.1

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 2,719

|percentage = 26.3

|change = -4.1

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = 19.6% Con to Lab

}}

{{Election box begin | title=Hilsea Ward, 2008{{cite web |title=2008 local election results |url=http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/13066.html |publisher=Portsmouth City Council |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20120427035407/http%3A//www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/13066.html |archive-date=27 April 2012 |url-status=dead}}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Donna Jones

|votes = 1,804

|percentage = 60.7

|change = +9.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Michelle Treacher

|votes = 562

|percentage = 18.9