39 Facts About Jane Dodds

Jane Winifred Dodds was born on 13 September 1963 and is a Welsh politician who has served as Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats since 2017.

Jane Dodds was elected as the Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire at the seat's 2019 by-election, but was an MP for only three months before being defeated in the general election later the same year.

In May 2021, Dodds was elected to the Senedd on the Mid and West Wales list.

Jane Dodds is the only Liberal Democrat MS in the Senedd.

Jane Dodds was born and raised in a Welsh-speaking family in Wrexham, North Wales.

Jane Dodds attended Ysgol Morgan Llwyd before studying social care at Cardiff University.

Jane Dodds moved to London in early 2000 and was a member of the Labour Party until 2003.

Jane Dodds stood for Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council for the Liberal Democrats in the 2006 local elections, and was elected as one of three councillors in the North Richmond ward.

Jane Dodds narrowly failed to retain her seat in 2010 by a narrow margin of 19 votes, despite obtaining the highest vote among the three Liberal Democrat candidates.

Jane Dodds contested a by-election for the same ward in 2012, following the resignation of one of the sitting Conservative councillors.

Jane Dodds narrowly missed out on re-election by 146 votes.

In November 2012, Jane Dodds returned to Wales and moved to Welshpool to help care for her elderly mother.

Jane Dodds contested the seat in both the 2015 and 2017 general elections, as well as the Welsh Assembly constituency of Montgomeryshire in 2016.

Jane Dodds came second on all three occasions, the Welsh Conservatives retaining both seats.

In March 2019, Jane Dodds was selected as the party's Westminster candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire.

Jane Dodds led her party into the 2021 Senedd election and gained a seat on the list vote in Mid and West Wales, the only seat in the Senedd to be retained by the party.

On 17 November 2024, Jane Dodds said that she would not resign as Welsh Lib Dem leader despite the party's UK leader, Sir Ed Davey, saying that she should consider her position.

Jane Dodds said that she has the confidence of the party's Welsh Board.

The Welsh party's President, Tim Sly, has said that Jane Dodds has its complete confidence.

Jane Dodds stated that child protection is her life's work and wholeheartedly apologised to the victims.

Jane Dodds has called for the extension of safe staffing levels for nursing in Wales to cover mental health inpatient wards and community nursing.

Since being elected to the Senedd, Jane Dodds has focused heavily on improving access to dental care in Wales stating that dental care in Wales has "all but collapsed" and that Welsh Labour have allowed a "two-tier system where the well-off can afford to go private and those, who are probably in the highest need, on lower incomes are left waiting in agony for treatment, unable to register for an NHS dentist".

Jane Dodds opposed the UK Conservative Government's trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, stating they were one-sided and that the Conservatives had sold Welsh farmers down the river by allowing cheaper products with lower standards into the UK market.

Jane Dodds called for future trade deals to be put to the UK Parliament for a vote and for impact assements to be carried out on the impact of trade deals for all regions of the UK.

In 2023, Jane Dodds secured a key amendment to the Welsh Agriculture Bill to ensure there is Welsh Government support available to farmers who are looking to establish small-scale renewable energy production on their land and to support the agricultural industry in making changes to increase energy efficiency in their businesses.

Jane Dodds is supportive of greater investment in offshore wind power in Wales alongside small-scale hydropower and tidal power.

Jane Dodds has called for the cutting of red tape on planning rules for offshore wind in order to boost moves towards a "green industrial revolution".

Jane Dodds has opposed potential cuts by the Welsh Labour Government to bus services in Wales, a move which she has stated would leave rural communities like hers even more isolated.

Jane Dodds has supported the concept of free-travel for under-25s to tackle climate change, increase social mobility and revitalise routes with low ridership.

Jane Dodds has called on the Welsh Government to investigate subsidised public transport, pointing to similar schemes in Spain and Germany.

Jane Dodds has supported proposals to re-open the Aberystwyth-Carmarthen rail line pointing out that it would cost a fraction of the Barnett formula consequentials Wales should in her opinion receive from HS2.

Jane Dodds has campaigned for the introduction of hourly rail services on the Cambrian Line in Montgomeryshire and Ceredigion.

Jane Dodds supports implementing electoral reform across the UK including at Westminster, the Senedd and in local elections.

Jane Dodds has supported introducing proportional representation in the Senedd under the Single Transferrable Vote system.

Jane Dodds has criticised Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru for not backing STV and opting for closed lists under current Senedd reform plans.

Jane Dodds has since supported rebuilding economic ties with the EU, restoring freedom of movement and eventually rejoining the single market.

Jane Dodds was against the 2003 invasion of Iraq and left the Labour Party due to its role in the invasion.

Jane Dodds is a supporter of global human rights and has criticised the Welsh Labour Government for engaging with authoritarian regimes, including criticising Welsh Labour Leader Mark Drakeford for being one of the only UK politicians to visit Qatar during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Jane Dodds has expressed support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion of the country and has called on the UK Government to continue to arm Ukraine as well as provide financial support, do more to sanction Russia and support Ukrainian refugees in the UK.