Tonia Antoniazzi


Antonia Louise Antoniazzi is a British Labour Party politician. She was elected as the Member of Parliament for Gower at the 2017 general election.

Early life

Antoniazzi was born and raised in Llanelli by a Welsh mother and a Welsh Italian father. She attended St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School and Gorseinon College. After studying French and Italian at Exeter University, she gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Cardiff University.
She has been head of languages at Bryngwyn Comprehensive School in Llanelli and a Wales women's international rugby player.

Parliamentary career

Antoniazzi contested the regional seat of Mid and West Wales in the 2016 National Assembly for Wales election. She then stood for parliament at the 2017 general election for the Gower constituency, which was held at the time by the Conservative's Byron Davies with a 27-vote majority, making it the UK's most marginal seat. She was successful, turning the seat Labour by gaining a 3,269 majority. On her election, she stated that she intended to be a strong constituency MP, and that "Gower is and always will be my first priority".
Antoniazzi delivered her maiden speech on Thursday 29 June 2017. In her speech she outlined how Italian immigration had shaped cafe culture in Wales and the UK.
Antoniazzi has served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales before resigning.
On 13 June 2018, Antoniazzi and five other Labour MPs resigned their roles as frontbenchers for the Labour Party in protest at Labour's Brexit position. Leader Jeremy Corbyn had instructed his MPs to abstain in a vote which Britain would remain in the single market by joining the European Economic Area. The MPs resigned and voted in favour of the EEA.
In the series of Parliamentary votes on Brexit in March 2019, Antoniazzi voted against the Labour Party whip and in favour of an amendment tabled by members of The Independent Group for a second public vote.
In June 2019, Antoniazzi urged ministers to allow the use of medicinal cannabis by "all who need it", citing the case of 12-year-old Billy Caldwell whose epilepsy was alleviated through use of the drug.
In July 2019, Antoniazzi was accused of spreading "junk science" in claiming that 5G technology is carcinogenic.
In November 2019, Antoniazzi was found to have received tickets and hospitality worth £1,693 from betting firms since the 2017 general election.
In December 2019, Antoniazzi held her seat at the 2019 general election.