Marcus Jones (politician)

Marcus Jones was born in Nuneaton on 5 April 1974 and has lived in the town all his life. He grew up in the suburb of Whitestone and was educated at St Thomas More Catholic School and King Edward VI College. Before becoming and MP, he worked as a conveyancing manager at Tustain Jones & Co., solicitors in Coventry and Nuneaton.{{cite web|url=https://www.marcusjones.org.uk/about-marcus|publisher=Marcus Jones|access-date=1 August 2018|title=About Marcus}}

Jones stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate in the Wem Brook ward of Nuneaton and Bedworth Council in 2002 and 2004, before being elected in the Whitestone ward in 2005. He was Conservative group leader from 2006 to 2009. In 2008 Marcus became the first Conservative Leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth, in the council's 34-year history. He served as council leader and was also the council's portfolio holder for Finance and Civic Affairs from 2006 to 2009, before standing down to concentrate on his parliamentary campaign. Jones stood down before the local elections in May 2010 and the Conservatives retained his seat, although they lost control of the council.{{cite web|url= http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Nuneaton-Bedworth-1973-2012.pdf|title= Nuneaton Council Election Results 1973–2012|publisher= Plymouth University|access-date=1 August 2018}}

Jones was first elected to the House of Commons in 2010, as the Member of Parliament for Nuneaton with a majority of 2,069 votes.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/d42.stm|title=UK> England> West Midlands> Nuneaton|date=7 May 2010|work=Election 2010|publisher=BBC|access-date=11 May 2010}} His victory overturned a notional Labour majority of 3,850 and, as a result, he became the first Conservative MP for the town since 1992.

As an MP, Jones has campaigned for a PFI rebate, and is a member of the PFI Rebate campaign of more than 80 MPs, from all three major parties, who have been calling for savings on PFI.{{cite web|url=http://www.marcusjones.org.uk/news/mp-welcomes-pfi-savings-%C2%A315bn |title=MP Welcomes PFI Savings of £1.5bn | Marcus Jones MP |publisher=Marcusjones.org.uk |date=20 July 2011 |access-date=4 July 2012}}

Jones's voting record is and has been widely inline with the rest of the Conservative party's MP's, however, there are notable exceptions,{{according to whom|date=July 2021}} for example, Jones has voted against same-sex marriage for LGBT+ people. Jones has also voted multiple times to repeal the Human Rights Act (1998) and voted against largely retaining the EU "Charter of Fundamental Rights" as part of UK law following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/24745/marcus_jones/nuneaton/votes|title=Voting record – Marcus Jones, former MP, Nuneaton|website=TheyWorkForYou}}{{better source needed|date=July 2021}}

Jones is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Town Centres and is also an Ambassador the Federation of Small Businesses' Keep Trade Local campaign{{cite web|url=http://www.marcusjones.org.uk/news/local-mp-signs-support-small-businesses-nuneaton |title=Local MP Signs Up to Support Small Businesses in Nuneaton | Marcus Jones MP |publisher=Marcusjones.org.uk |date=20 July 2010 |access-date=4 July 2012}}

In the general election in 2015 Nuneaton was Labour's target number 38,{{cite web|url=http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/labour-target-seats |title=UKPollingReport Election Guide » Labour Target Seats |publisher=Ukpollingreport.co.uk |access-date=4 July 2012}} but Jones won the seat for a second time.

As of May 2015, Jones became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government in the first Cameron ministry, the first Conservative Majority Government for 18 years.

In January 2016, in response to a proposed law that all rented houses should be fit for human habitation, he said: "New clause 52 would result in unnecessary regulation and cost to landlords which would deter further investment and push up rents for tenants. Of course we believe that all homes should be of a decent standard and all tenants should have a safe place to live regardless of tenure, but local authorities already have strong and effective powers to deal with poor quality and safe accommodation and we expect them to use them." He voted against the proposed law, but was not one of the 72 Conservative MPs who did so whilst also being landlords themselves.{{cite news |last1=Gilbert |first1=Simon |title=MP says rule requiring landlords to make homes fit for human habitation is 'unnecessary' |url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/mp-says-rule-requiring-landlords-10746978 |access-date=30 October 2021 |work=Coventry Telegraph |publisher=Reach plc |date=17 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317215617/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/mp-says-rule-requiring-landlords-10746978 |archive-date=17 March 2017 |location=Coventry, England |language=en}}

In May 2016, it emerged that Jones was one of a number of Conservative MPs being investigated by police in the United Kingdom general election, 2015 party spending investigation, for allegedly spending more than the legal limit on constituency election campaign expenses.{{cite news |title=Tory election fraud allegations: the full story — election expenses exposed |url=https://news.channel4.com/livepages/2016/election-expenses/ |access-date=30 October 2021 |work=Channel 4 News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424085916/https://news.channel4.com/livepages/2016/election-expenses/ |archive-date=24 April 2017 |language=en }} However, in May 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service said that while there was evidence of inaccurate spending returns, it did not "meet the test" for further action.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39865801|work=BBC News|title=No charges over 2015 Conservative battle bus cases|access-date=1 August 2018}}

Jones was re-elected in the 2017 general election, and during the first cabinet reshuffle of the second May ministry, he was appointed Vice-Chair of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for Local Government.

He was again re-elected in the 2019 general election, with an increased majority of over 13,000 votes.

On 13 February 2020, Jones was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (Government Whip) during a cabinet reshuffle. On 17 September 2021, he was appointed Comptroller of the Household, a senior Government Whip, in the second cabinet reshuffle of the second Johnson ministry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-september-2021|title=Ministerial appointments: September 2021|date=16 September 2021}} In that role, he took part in the 2023 Coronation.{{cite news |title=Coronation order of service in full |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65503950 |access-date=6 May 2023}}

In the House of Commons, Jones sat on the Administration Committee and Backbench Business Committee, and served on the Speakers Committee on the Electoral Commission.{{cite web|title=Marcus Jones|url= https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-marcus-jones/4024|website=Parliament UK|access-date=1 August 2018}}

On 8 July 2022, Jones was appointed as Housing Minister following the resignation of Stuart Andrew during the July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis.{{Cite web |last=Hay |first=Bryan |date=2022-07-08 |title=New Housing Minister appointed |url=https://theintermediary.co.uk/2022/07/new-housing-minister-appointed/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=The Intermediary |language=en-GB}}

On 8 March 2023, he was appointed as a member of the Privy Council.{{cite web|url=https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-03-08-List-of-Business.pdf|publisher=Privy Council Office|title=Orders for 8 March 2023|access-date=9 March 2023}}

Marcus Jones lives with his wife Suzanne and has two children.{{cite news |author1=Coventry Live |title=Nuneaton MP welcomes new arrival |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/nuneaton-mp-welcomes-new-arrival-3037587 |access-date=30 October 2021 |work=Coventry Telegraph |publisher=Reach plc |date=15 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514065049/https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/nuneaton-mp-welcomes-new-arrival-3037587 |archive-date=14 May 2018 |location=Coventry, England |language=en}}

• Nuneaton
• Nuneaton and Bedworth
• Conservative Party
• Nuneaton Constituency

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.marcusjones.org.uk Marcus Jones' Website]
• {{UK MP links | parliament = marcus-jones/4024 | publicwhip = marcus_jones | theywork = marcus_jones}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|uk}}

{{s-bef|before=Bill Olner}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Nuneaton|years=2010–2024}}

{{s-aft|after=Jodie Gosling}}

{{end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Marcus}}

Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:UK MPs 2010–2015

Category:UK MPs 2015–2017

Category:UK MPs 2017–2019

Category:Councillors in Warwickshire

Category:UK MPs 2019–2024

Category:Leaders of local authorities of England

Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom

Category:Knights Bachelor