Nigel Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham
Encyclopedia
Nigel David Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham (b. 30 March 1948 Cheltenham
, Gloucestershire
) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom
.
) on Victoria Avenue in Evesham
. He was a computer operator
for Westminster Bank
from 1965-7, and a computer programmer
at International Computers Limited (ICL) from 1967-70. He worked as a systems analyst
at Vehicle and General Insurance from 1970-1, a systems programmer at Atkins Computing in 1971, and then rejoined ICL as a project manager
from 1971-92.
(MP) for Cheltenham in 1992, having previously contested the seat at the 1979 general election
), winning the seat from the Conservative Party
. He held the seat until standing down at the 2005 general election
.
, and he was subsequently elevated to the peerage on 20 June 2005 as Baron Jones of Cheltenham, of Cheltenham
in the County of Gloucestershire
. As well as many outside interests he acts as a non-executive consultant for Barlow Frith Communications, a Buckinghamshire-based Public Relations consultancy.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Early life
He went to Prince Henry's Grammar School (now the comprehensive Prince Henry's High SchoolPrince Henry's High School
Prince Henry's High School, also known as Prince Henry's, is a secondary school in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It is a co-educational comprehensive high school, in which there are about 1260 students enrolled, aged between 13 and 18...
) on Victoria Avenue in Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
. He was a computer operator
Computer operator
A role within IT, computer operators oversee the running of computer systems, ensuring that the machines are running and physically secured. The traditional role of a computer operator was to work with mainframes which required a great deal of management day-to-day, however nowaday they often work...
for Westminster Bank
Westminster Bank
Westminster Bank was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1834 until its merger into the National Westminster Bank in 1970; it remains a registered company but is dormant...
from 1965-7, and a computer programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
at International Computers Limited (ICL) from 1967-70. He worked as a systems analyst
Systems analyst
A systems analyst researches problems, plans solutions, recommends software and systems, and coordinates development to meet business or other requirements. They will be familiar with multiple variety of programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms...
at Vehicle and General Insurance from 1970-1, a systems programmer at Atkins Computing in 1971, and then rejoined ICL as a project manager
Project manager
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, computer networking, telecommunications or software...
from 1971-92.
Parliamentary career
Jones was a Gloucestershire County Councillor from 1989 until being elected as the Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Cheltenham in 1992, having previously contested the seat at the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
), winning the seat from the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. He held the seat until standing down at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
Peerage
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that Nigel Jones would be created a life peerLife peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
, and he was subsequently elevated to the peerage on 20 June 2005 as Baron Jones of Cheltenham, of Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
in the County of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. As well as many outside interests he acts as a non-executive consultant for Barlow Frith Communications, a Buckinghamshire-based Public Relations consultancy.
Personal life
He married Katherine Grinnell in 1981. They have a son (Sam) and twin daughters (Amy and Lucy).External links
- Lord Jones of Cheltenham profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- Cheltenham Liberal Democrats
- Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle - Nigel Jones
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Nigel Jones
- The Public Whip - Nigel Jones voting record
- BBC News - Nigel Jones profile 10 February 2005
- PR consultancy.