Robert Jones (British politician)

Robert Brannock Jones (26 September 1950 – 16 April 2007) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for West Hertfordshire for its 14-year existence, from its creation in 1983 until it was abolished in 1997. He served as a junior minister in the Department of the Environment from 1994 to 1997.

Jones was born in Bedford. His father was a civil engineer. He was educated at St Martin's School in Northwood and the Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood. He read Modern History at St Andrews University, where he was a student politician. He organised the student union to disaffiliate from the National Union of Students. While still a student, he was elected as a member of St Andrews Burgh Council from 1972 to 1975, and of Fife County Council from 1973 to 1975. He was also elected vice-chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students in 1973. Aged only 24, he stood as Conservative candidate for Kirkcaldy in the October 1974 general election, losing to the incumbent Labour MP Harry Gourlay.