# Simon Baynes

Simon Robert Maurice Baynes (born 21 April 1960) is a British Conservative former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Clwyd South from 2019 to 2024. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration from July to September 2022. Baynes worked in finance for J.P. Morgan Cazenove from 1982 to 2006, before running a small bookshop in Shrewsbury.

## Early life and education

Baynes was born in Lesbury, Northumberland, the son of Sir John Christopher Malcolm Baynes, 7th Baronet and Shirley Maxwell Baynes (née Dodds). He grew up in Montgomeryshire, where his father ran the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel. He and his father have since co-authored a book on the hotel.
He was privately educated at both Belhaven Hill Preparatory School and Shrewsbury School, before studying at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a BA in History. Whilst at the university, he was a choral exhibitioner and won the Dunster History Essay Prize. He was also President of the Cambridge Union. In 1982, he was Chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association.

## Early career

Baynes was a partner at Cazenove & Co., and latterly a managing director of JPMorgan Cazenove, from 1982 to 2006. From 2007 to 2011, he was the owner and bookseller of Simon Baynes - Books and Music in Shrewsbury.
He has been a trustee (and was the founder) of Concertina - Music for the Elderly, which he formed in 1998 with his wife. It provides live music in care homes for the elderly. His mother-in-law suffered from dementia. He founded the Bodfach Charitable Trust in 2006, which he is also a trustee of. In addition, he has been a trustee of the Y Dolydd Llanfyllin Workhouse (2005–12), Mid Wales Opera (2012–19), Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (2017–19) and Friends of St Myllin's Church (2018–19), the latter of which he is a patron of.
From 2005 to 2012, Baynes was Chairman of North Powys Youth Music. He has also been Chairman of the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust (2016–19) and the Holroyd Community Theatre (2018–19). He was the founder and Chairman of the Montgomeryshire Literary Festival (2018–19). From 2017 to 2019, he was a governor at Llanfyllin High School.

## Political career

He stood as the Welsh Conservative candidate in Montgomeryshire in 2005, finishing second behind incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Öpik. He unsuccessfully sought the Conservative nomination for the seat of South Staffordshire in 2010, losing out to future cabinet minister Gavin Williamson. He then contested Dwyfor Meirionnydd at the 2010 general election, and the same seat in the 2011 National Assembly for Wales Election, both times without success.
Baynes was a Conservative member of Powys County Council from 2008 to 2012, and joint leader of the Conservative group. The following year, he joined Llanfyllin Town Council, where he remained a member until 2019. He served as the mayor of the eponymous Montgomeryshire town of Llanfyllin from 2018 to 2020.
He has contested elections in Clwyd South on three occasions. He first contested Clwyd South in the 2016 Welsh Assembly election. In 2017 he contested the marginal Westminster seat. On all three occasions he finished second. He was elected to Parliament for Clwyd South at the 2019 general election, to serve in the 58th Parliament. He defeated the incumbent Labour MP Susan Elan Jones.
On 2 March 2020, Baynes became a member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee.
He endorsed Priti Patel in the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, but she did not end up standing. He then supported Rishi Sunak.
Clwyd South was abolished at the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, therefore Baynes was selected to fight the neighbouring Liberal Democrat held English seat of North Shropshire for the Conservatives in the 2024 general election. He lost to the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan by over 30% (15,000 votes).

## Personal life

Baynes married his wife Margaret (known as Maggie), an architect, in 1992. They have two daughters.
He lists his recreations as "music (including playing the organ for church services), theatre, concerts, gardening, heritage".

## Publications

* (with Sir John Baynes, G. V. Westropp) Lake Vyrnwy: The Story of a Sporting Hotel. United Kingdom, Quiller Publishing, Limited, 2019. ISBN 9781846892981, 1846892988.
* The Forgotten Country House: The Rise and Fall of Roundway Park. United Kingdom, Quiller Press, Limited, 2019. ISBN 9781846893063, 1846893062.

## Electoral history
### 2024 UK general election

General election 2024: North Shropshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Morgan | 26,214 | 52.9 | +42.9 |
| | Conservative | Simon Baynes | 10,903 | 22.0 | −39.7 |
| | Reform UK | Mark Whittle | 7,687 | 15.5 | +15.5 |
| | Labour | Natalie Rowley | 3,423 | 6.9 | −15.5 |
| | Green | Craig Emery | 1,234 | 2.5 | −0.8 |
| | Independent | Samuel Cladingbowl | 133 | 0.3 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,311 | 30.9 | −9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,594 | 64.1 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,573 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +41.3 | |

### 2019 UK general election

General election 2019: Clwyd South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Baynes | 16,222 | 44.7 | +5.6 |
| | Labour | Susan Elan Jones | 14,983 | 41.3 | −9.4 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Christopher Allen | 2,137 | 5.9 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Calum Davies | 1,496 | 4.1 | +2.2 |
| | Brexit Party | Jamie Adams | 1,468 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 110 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,239 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,306 | 67.3 | −2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 53,919 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 7.5 | |

### 2017 UK general election

General election 2017: Clwyd South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Elan Jones | 19,002 | 50.7 | +13.5 |
| | Conservative | Simon Baynes | 14,646 | 39.1 | +8.7 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Christopher Allen | 2,292 | 6.1 | −4.2 |
| | UKIP | Jeanette Bassford-Barton | 802 | 2.1 | −13.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce Roberts | 731 | 2.0 | −1.8 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 56 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,356 | 11.6 | +4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,473 | 68.9 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,266 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.4 | |

### 2016 Welsh Assembly election

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Clwyd South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ken Skates | 7,862 | 35.5 | −6.9 |
| | Conservative | Simon Baynes | 4,846 | 21.9 | −7.3 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Mabon ap Gwynfor | 3,861 | 17.4 | −1.1 |
| | UKIP | Mandy Jones | 2,827 | 12.8 | +12.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Aled Roberts | 2,289 | 10.3 | +0.5 |
| | Green | Duncan Rees | 474 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,016 | 13.6 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,159 | 40.9 | +4.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.2 | |

### 2011 Welsh Assembly election

Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Dwyfor Meirionnydd :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Dafydd Elis-Thomas | 9,656 | 46.6 | 13.1 |
| | Conservative | Simon Baynes | 4,239 | 20.4 | 0.8 |
| | Llais Gwynedd | Louise Hughes | 3,225 | 15.5 | N/A |
| | Labour | Martyn Singleton | 2,623 | 12.6 | 0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Churchman | 1,000 | 4.8 | 3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,417 | 26.1 | 14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,743 | 46.3 | 1.1 |
| | Plaid Cymru hold | Plaid Cymru hold | Swing | 7.0 | |

### 2010 UK general election

General election 2010: Dwyfor Meirionnydd :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Elfyn Llwyd | 12,814 | 44.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Simon Baynes | 6,447 | 22.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | Alwyn Humphreys | 4,021 | 13.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Churchman | 3,538 | 12.2 | N/A |
| | Independent | Louise Hughes | 1,310 | 4.5 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Frank Wykes | 776 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,367 | 22.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,906 | 63.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 45,354 | | |
| | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) |

### 2005 UK general election

General election 2005: Montgomeryshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lembit Öpik | 15,419 | 51.2 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Simon Baynes | 8,246 | 27.4 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | David Tinline | 3,454 | 11.5 | −0.4 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Ellen ap Gwynn | 2,078 | 6.9 | +0.1 |
| | UKIP | Clive Easton | 900 | 3.0 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,173 | 23.8 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,097 | 64.4 | −1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 46,766 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +1.2 | |