Sarah Jones

Sarah Ann Jones (born 20 December 1972) is a British Labour Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Croydon Central since the 2017 general election. She currently serves as Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation as part of Labour's Shadow Department for Business and Trade team. Until September 2023, Jones was the Shadow Minister for Policing and the Fire Service. Life and career Jones was born in Croydon and is a lifelong resident. She was educated at the private Old Palace School in Croydon and at Durham University, where she read History. She was a member of Trevelyan College. Jones joined the Labour Party aged 19 in 1992 after watching Conservative Party MP Peter Lilley, then the Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security, make a speech to his party's annual conference where he attacked benefit claimants and women who allegedly become pregnant to gain council housing. Jones, who was pregnant at the time, joined the Labour Party as a direct reaction to the speech. After leaving university Jones worked for Mo Mowlam, Labour Member of Parliament for Redcar and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Jones worked briefly as a Press Officer for the Labour Party during the 1997 general election.