*Joel James is no longer a Member of the Senedd (MS). However, he will be standing as a candidate in the upcoming Senedd elections for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf. Any references to being a Member of the Senedd (MS) are now considered historic. *
Having been elected to the Senedd in May 2021, Joel was appointed Shadow Minister for Social Partnership and was later promoted to Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing.
As a Member of the Senedd, Joel sat on the Local Government and Housing Committee and Petitions Committee. Joel was also the proud Chair of both the Liver Disease and Liver Cancer Cross-Party Group and Beer and Pubs Cross-Party Group.
Born in Church Village and attending Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School in Beddau, Joel went on to achieve a BA in History from the University of Bristol and further completed his postgraduate degree in Welsh History at Cardiff University.
Before entering the world of politics, Joel worked as a librarian at one of the highest-rated schools in the entire UK – Cardiff Sixth Form College. Joel also worked for the Rt. Hon Alun Cairns MP for the Vale of Glamorgan.
Joel first became involved in politics in 2008 when he was elected as a Conservative Councillor to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for Llantwit Fardre. This made history as the first time a Conservative had been elected to RCT council.
Changes to the rules in 2022 meant that Joel could not remain as a County Councillor whilst serving as a Member of the Senedd. Therefore, at the 2022 Local Government election, he stood down from the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Council.