Elin Jones

Elin Jones AM (born 1 September 1966), is a Welsh politician, born in Lampeter, who has represented Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 1999, and has been its Presiding Officer since 2016.

She attended Llanwnnen Primary School and Lampeter Comprehensive. She graduated from University of Wales, Cardiff with a BSc in Economics and took a post-graduate MSc in Agricultural Economics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Previously she was employed as an Economic Development officer for the Development Board for Rural Wales. She is a former Shadow Environment, Planning and Countryside Minister.

Elin Jones speaks Welsh and English. She is also a former director of Radio Ceredigion and of Wes Glei Cyf, a television production company. She lives in Aberaeron and enjoys music, film, reading and formerly sang with the Welsh singing group Cwlwm. She is also a member of a mixed choir, Côr ABC Aberystwyth.

Elin Jones served on Aberystwyth Town Council from 1992 - 1999 and was the youngest-ever Mayor of Aberystwyth from 1997 to 1998. She was the National Chair of Plaid Cymru between 2000 and 2002.

In the first Assembly elections in 1999 Elin Jones was elected as Assembly Member for Ceredigion and served as Shadow Economic Development Minister during the Assembly’s first term. Following the Assembly election in 2003, she retained this portfolio until 2006 when she became Shadow Minister for Environment, Planning & Countryside. On 9 July 2007 the One Wales government was formed and Elin Jones was made Minister for Rural Affairs. Her tenure at that position was criticized by George Monbiot in his book Feral.

She ran in the 2011 Assembly Elections and was re-elected.