Jenny Jones is an ex-archaeologist and former chair of the Green party. She also occasinally writes for The Guardian. Elected to the London Assembly in 2000, she is the leader of the Green group in the assembly; in 2003, she was appointed Ken Livingstone's deputy mayor, a position which has been otherwise held by a Labour party member of the London Assembly.
Since 2000, she has been a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority; since 2003, chair of London Food; and since 2006, the mayor's green transport adviser.
On Transport, Jenny has worked to secure safer roads, improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, reductions in road crimes and traffic, and excellent public transport for all users. On Planning and Housing, she has chaired the Assembly committee and produced several reports.
Jenny is a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority where she holds the Met and the Mayor to account, particularly on civil liberties. She has consistently called for greater police resources for the enforcement of road traffic laws, and for better support for victims of crime. In the previous mayoral administration, Jenny held several posts: chair of London Food, the Mayor's road safety ambassador, and the Mayor's green transport adviser. Jenny is also the former Deputy Mayor of London.
In her former role as chair of London Food, Jenny played an important part in shaping the mayoral Food Strategy for London. Issued in 2006, the strategy set a framework for bringing healthy, sustainable, diverse and affordable food to all Londoners. Jenny has sought to improve the food that is on offer to Londoners and to reduce its environmental impact. In all her roles, Jenny has raised awareness of the dangers of climate change and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse emissions. Jenny has been a member of the project board that has lead the delivery of the East London Green Grid of open spaces. In 2004, Jenny was named as one of 200 'women of achievement'. Before her election, Jenny Jones was an archaeologist working mainly in the Middle East and a former chair of the Green Party.
