16 Facts About Jane Dodds

Jane Dodds MS 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.