MP cautioned for assaulting his wife confirms he won’t be standing for re-election
Martin Shipton
A Welsh MP who accepted a police caution for common assault on his wife has announced that he will not be standing in the general election.
Jonathan Edwards, who has represented Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 2010, had previously indicated that he was minded to stand as an Independent candidate in the new seat of Caerfyrddin.
He was suspended by Plaid Cymru in May 2020 following the incident in which his wife was assaulted. The Crown Prosecution Service evaluated the evidence and decided that a caution rather than a criminal charge was the appropriate way to deal with the matter.
In 2022 Mr Edwards was allowed to re-join the party by a disciplinary panel, triggering an argument about whether he should represent the party in the House of Commons. A majority of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee recommended that he should not resume his work as a Plaid Cymru Westminster MP. He then decided to remain outside Plaid and continue to sit as an Independent.
Deep reflection
In a statement issued this morning (28 May) Mr Edwards said: “Since the general election was called last week, I have taken the time to consider whether I will be putting my name forward. I would like to thank everyone who has been in touch to encourage me to do so. However, upon deep reflection, I have decided that it is time for me to stand down from Westminster.
“I have dedicated my adult life to public service, and politics is the very essence of my soul. Serving my home communities has been the most incredible honour and privilege. I hope the people of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr will feel that I have done the job to the best of my ability, with integrity and for the right reasons.
“The fact that I am the only politician that has ever won four elections, and that I am the longest ever serving Parliamentarian for the constituency and its previous incarnations, indicates that I must have done something right. You will never understand how much it has meant to me that you put your faith in me for all these years.
“In an age of great scepticism, a good elected member can make a huge difference to people’s lives.
“My priority was always Carmarthenshire and my energies were always directed towards serving the needs of our communities and not grandstanding in Westminster. I would like to thank my staff who have been loyal to me over the years for their hard work.
“I have been fortunate to work with some incredible people who have helped thousands of constituents with problems and community groups achieving so much for our county. I am sorry that you will now be faced with an uncertain future for a while; however I am confident that you will flourish in whatever you choose to do next.
“We have also achieved some great policy victories. Leading the charge to scrap the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Scheme in Wales which saves Welsh councils an estimated £100m per annum, enabling those that kept their housing stock to build for the first time in years. I feel an enormous sense of pride when I see new council houses being built in Carmarthenshire.
“Uncovering the scandalous financial loss to Wales resulting from HS2 and other Barnett scandals. Making the case for a Wales-specific public sector pension investment fund. And securing one of the first Levelling Up bids in the UK for the Tywi Valley cycle path between Llandeilo and Carmarthen.
Exploited
He added: “I don’t think I will ever accept the manner in which Plaid Cymru exploited an incident in my personal life to try and destroy me. I acted in good faith and trusted the party’s processes, only for them to be corrupted by those who misused their power in order to settle old scores. That is a matter for them and their conscience. They will undoubtedly rejoice at this statement, but any victory they may feel is a pyrrhic one.
“It has taken me a long time to recover, and to be perfectly frank I am amazed I am still alive and breathing after the depths I fell to. I am, however, now at peace. At the end of last week, I attended the funeral of the wife of a friend who tragically died young from cancer. I reflected on what’s important in life and that means moving forward, not looking back.
“This week marks the second anniversary of my own father’s death – a man who gave his whole life to Plaid Cymru. It still haunts me that when he was gasping for his final breaths on his deathbed he witnessed his party turning against his son. That sort of torment is beyond comprehension. My father was a Christian and he would not condone a major decision to stand at this election on the basis of revenge and would instead encourage forgiveness.
“I am so fortunate to have beautiful children that bring joy to everyone they encounter. I can’t wait to spend more time with them, having lost out on so much of their early years. And my amazing partner Fflur gives me faith that the future will be one full of love and happiness. I have much to look forward to.
“On Saturday I played cricket for my beloved Ammanford Wildboars Centurions cricket team. The anthracite grey of the Amman Valley runs deep in my blood. I reflected that there is more than one way to represent the communities where I come from and call home.
“I look forward to deepening my engagement with the town’s fabulous sporting teams, especially coaching the under-10 cricket team. It astounds me how quickly the players are developing. The proudest moment of my political career was when Ammanford RFC asked me to become the club’s honorary vice president. The people of the Amman Valley have stuck by me through thick and thin and I am proud to be one of you.
“Politics is a tough and all-encompassing occupation and I genuinely wish my successor well. For myself, I can’t wait to be home where I belong.”
Marginal
The new seat of Caerfyrddin is considered a three-way marginal.
It will be contested by Conservative candidate Simon Hart, a former Secretary of State for Wales who is currently the government chief whip and has sat as the MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire; Labour candidate Martha O’Neil and Plaid Cymru candidate Ann Davies, a member of Carmarthenshire County Council’s cabinet.
Fel un sy’n edmygu cyfraniad mawr Jonathan Edwards i Gymru a Phlaid Cymru, rwy’n mawr obeithio na fydd yn sefyll yn erbyn y Blaid yn yr etholiad hwn. Gall wedyn ddal ei ben yn uchel, a dychwelyd i wleidyddiaeth os mynn yn yr etholiad nesaf i Senedd Cymru.
— Dafydd Iwan (@dafyddiwan) May 28, 2024
Before Mr Edwards released his statement, the iconic singer and former Plaid Cymru President Dafydd Iwan posted a message to X which said: “As one who admires the great contribution of Jonathan Edwards to Wales and Plaid Cymru, I really hope that he will not stand against the party in this election.
“He can then hold his head high, and return to politics if he wants to in the next election to Senedd Cymru.”
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There was never going to be a happy outcome to this sorry episode. Plaid must separate its disciplinary and political processes. JE’s implacable opponents should feel they have been satisfied. Let us all remember that a bit of Christian foregiveness in the light of JE’s acceptance of the inappropriateness of his behaviour would go a long way. Dafydd Iwan’s wise message is the way forward.
Yes. I’m not convinced that Plaid made the right call with JE (whatever happened to forgiveness/redemption/rehabilitation) but, in the difficult circumstances, this is the right call by him and actually increases my respect. Hopefully the way is now clear for Ann Davies to win Caerfyrddin for Plaid Cymru.
Should never have got this far. As soon as caution accepted, as a law maker, at the very latest, out the door.
In May 2020 the Crown Prosecution Service, who know a thing or two about justice, decided that my namesake should be cautioned and not punished. Cancellation culture meant that this decent man must be put through a wringer for 4 whole years. And then, on top of the wringer, have his livelihood ruined, his and his childrens’ income taken away. As one who had a similar experience, while sharing a name and county with JE MP, I can say how relieved I am that I decided ages ago not to seek a political career in Plaid Cymru. Luckily Plaid is… Read more »
There is no excuse for attacking your own spouse!! What a huge shame and we’ve had to drive and walk passed a picture of a known abuser on his shop in Ammonford! What kind of message does this send to our daughters? We forgive men who may kill them. I am absolutely disgusted by you and you’re name sake. How embarrassing for you to share his name. Look at the stats for how many woman have been murdered this year by boyfriends and husbands because you will see it’s almost two a week. This epidemic won’t stop with this kind… Read more »
Plaid better hope that the deviant inclinations of others within the party don’t get much of an airing. Not likely to be exposed by other parties at Y Senedd as they too are not totally clean. What is the problem with politicians that they become deviant as moths drawn to light ?
Do you have the guts to tell us who you are talking about and what their specific deviance might be?
If you listen carefully when you are next out of your bunker you’ll soon pick up on what’s going on unless you are deaf dumb and blind. And realise that too many of these deviants get away with covering up for too long but eventually the truth leaks out.
I thought so. You’re just a gutless wonder throwing mud around with nothing to back it up with. You sound like a Tory who is happy to throw mud around with absolutely no proof to support their claims.
I’m not condoning what Plaid’s Jonathan Edward did, and he paid dearly for what he did, but it’s a sad ending to political career. 😐
He was never punished.
Article title should be One of the best Plaid MPs and certainly the best MP Carms East Dinefwr ever had.
In 2019 I used to live in Carmarthen and voted JE for Plaid Cymru at the GE then. I am glad he took the decision not to stand against the official Plaid Cymru candidate. Now, JE needs time with his family that is the most important thing for him to do. JE is still a Plaid Cymru member and perhaps he can return to frontline politics at a later date. Ann Davies is now our candidate for Carmarthen. Perhaps, Carmarthen and South West Wales could have both when we have the Single Transferable voting system, instead of this ‘closed party… Read more »
And PC agreed to that system.
Labour and plaid have cooked this STV party list candidate up together.More jobs for talentless political hacks.
Its an abomination snd has brought devolution into disrepute.
They will regret it.
Almost certainly the right decision in the circumstances. Whatever the actual details of the domestic circumstances underlying his predicament – and none of us really have a solid grasp on what they might be – the hard reality is that in public life some things stick, and the political cause to which Mr Edwards originally committed himself surely has to be deemed more important than his own personal career
The PM BBC Radio 4 programme just broadcast the news of police cautioned MP Jonathan Edwards leaving Parliament as a headline. What a legacy for Plaid. He and his cabal of supporters should have seen the writing on the wall much earlier.
Agreed. He was a nasty stain on the party. Did they forget that women got the vote and that we don’t appreciate men who threaten to use violence against us? He needs some cillit bang.
I think JE comes out of this well in the round and i hope his talent is not lost to Wales. The “woke folk” make a fair point on high standards and respect but there must always be a road to the repentance JEs father beleived in.
Blimey how on earth can you read this entire article and still believe he looks good??! This is 2024!