I want to be able to help in any way to secure Steffan’s legacy...
Delyth Jewell is on her first week as an Assembly Member. She’s spoken about the abuse she’s already endured, and stepping into the shoes of her friend Steffan Lewis. Social affairs correspondent RUTH MOSALSKI reports
DELYTH Jewell was on a train when it was announced she was to become Wales’ newest Assembly Member.
Her appointment came in the saddest way – as she was stepping into the seat left vacant by the death of Steffan Lewis, someone she called a friend.
But within minutes, she’d seen the worst side of modern politics. Twitter users grabbed snippets of information from her profile and ran with it.
“She is another social justice warrior that will do nothing for Wales.”
“Women’s rights and social justice, God help Plaid Cymru” said another.
Reflecting now, “That was a horrible night,” she says.
“They only read the first sentence of my Twitter biog. It wasn’t everyone, but they were very vocal, the ones who were saying it.
“One of the complaints was, ‘What does she know about Wales? She’s only bothered about international development and women’s rights?’
“Literally, the second sentence of my biography said I worked for Citizens Advice, but they didn’t bother to read that.”
In 2018 she had written a paper looking at the abuse of female MPs. The day before being returned, she’d given an interview to the Independent about that research.
“It was very ironic to me that the day after writing about it, and about how it’s not as though men in politics don’t get targeted, but they get targeted incidentally, not because they’re men. Women in politics seem to get targeted because they’re a woman.
“I was dismayed that people would make assumptions on me based on very few words.
“Women’s rights is something I am hugely passionate about, it’s also what my last job was about, so of course I was going to be tweeting about it almost exclusively, it doesn’t mean it’s the only thing I’m interested in.
“I would like to reassure people that I am utterly dedicated to serving all causes.”
The words were, she admits, “a bit of a knock”.
“I was already feeling very sad. It was dismaying for me but I was just so reassured by the support, I was kind of buoyed up by the support from people.
“There were so many people, some who know me, and some who have never met me, who came to my defence”.
The comment which cut down the detractors most bluntly came from Leanne Wood, but there was cross party responses in her defence.
Born in Caerphilly and brought up in Ystrach Mynach, and then later Quaker’s Yard her dad was the biggest political influence.
Her father is “very political” and was involved in Plaid Cymru from school days. He took his daughter to meetings.
“The first time I felt really politically connected, it was truly inescapably important was right before I went to university.
“I was very aware I was going to university, I was very excited about it but I felt I didn’t want to lose the connection.
“My father took me to Gwynfor Evans’ funeral and at the end, everyone started singing the national anthem and I almost felt it in my stomach. That just really struck me.”
She interned, and then worked full-time for Plaid in Westminster.
During her five and a half years working for the party, she worked with Elfyn Llwyd on cross party campaigns on topics like stalking and coercive control.
In 2015, she returned to Cardiff, to work for national charity Citizens Advice in Cardiff working on policy and campaigns.
Her move wasn’t a conscious plan to get into elected politics, but she ended up on the regional list after being contacted people including former AM Jocelyn Davies who Ms Jewell said was “keen to have a strong woman’s voice” there.
During that time, she became friends with Steffan Lewis and she didn’t go into the election expecting to be an AM.The pair discussed their chances and Steffan told her it “would be an adventure”.
“I was preparing myself that while we had two on the regional list, because of the timing and how close it was to the European referendum and how much a lot of UK wide newspapers were covering that I was very aware of the possibility Ukip would do very well. But I thought I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for not giving it a go.”
“I didn’t expect on the day that I Would get it, but I did everything I could partly because the party or parties who would get the seats otherwise were not parties I agree with.”
She went to bed as the results were counted, and woke to messages saying that then Plaid leader Leanne Wood had taken the Rhondda.
“Even though I’d gone to bed thinking I’m not going get it, I saw that message and thought there was a hope. I thought we’d done something remarkable.”
But, when she went to the count, it became clear that Ukip had taken its first seats. As it was, on the regional list Ukip took seven seats, Welsh Conservatives five, Plaid Cymru six and Labour two.
“I’m sorry to be so partisan about this but it’s because of the party that did well, I disagree with what they stood on, as a platform, and I was kind of doubly disappointed because of that.
“I would regard a lot of what Ukip stands for is more about a drumbeat of British nationalism. I worry because this institution, the Senedd, is something I am very proud of.”
Since arriving at the Senedd just over a week ago, she’s now getting to grips with the Assembly, its processes, and has made her maiden speech in the Senedd.
The first time she stood in the chamber was to take her oath, privately, but with her family.
Her portfolio in Plaid is international affairs and culture, working with Adam Price on their Brexit policy.
“Something I’m really looking forward to doing is some of the campaigning work locally Steffan had done, like the miners’ pension fund campaign and perinatal services.
“I want to be able to help in whatever way I can to secure Steffan’s legacy but I’m also very aware that, I can’t hope to emulate what he did, but so much of what I’ve done so far since graduation has been that I want to help people, help those who need it the most, in the most vulnerable situation in their lvies.
“I’m really excited I’m now in a situation where I might be able to do that.”
There are two years until the next Assembly election, and she says she’s aware that time is short to make an impact.
“I want to do everything I can in this term to meet as many constiutents as I can, not from a cynical point of view, I honestly want to hear what they’re worried about and what their concerns and hopes are, what they want me to be working on.”
“I feel so many mixed emotions. I’m really excited and determined to do everything I can.
“I can’t quite believe I’m here, it still doesn’t feel completely real.”
She is in contact with Steffan’s family, and spoke to his mum Gail the night she made her first speech.
“We have to remember him as often as we can, keep him with us, that’s the way we’ll keep his legacy.
“I don’t see this as me underwriting him and saying, ‘It’s a clean slate.’ I want to build on some of the things he did that he’d want me to carry on with.
“He told people how much he wanted me to be my own person”.