Jane Collins

Jane Maria Collins (born 17 February 1962) is a British politician and horse show-jumper who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber from 2014 to 2019. She was elected in May 2014 as a member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), but defected to the Brexit Party in 2019 in the last months of her membership of the European Parliament. Collins served as UKIP's spokesperson on Employment law, Home Affairs and most recently on Animal Welfare. On 15 April 2019 she announced that she was leaving the party to join the Brexit Party. Early life and career Collins was born in Pontefract, West Riding of Yorkshire and attended East Hardwick Junior School and Pontefract and District Girls High School, leaving at 18 with four GCE O-levels and a GCE A-level in Art. On leaving school, Collins opted against going to college, preferring to develop an equestrian career. She began her equestrian career with a racehorse training establishment in Moss, South Yorkshire. From there she moved to Clarehaven Stables owned by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. At Clarehaven she became Head girl to Trainer Alex Stewart. In 1985 her family moved to Selby and eventually bought a stable and livery yard at Willitoft which she helped run. During this time she was involved in showing horses and show-jumping at the highest national levels. An equine physiotherapist, she met Katie Bloom with whom she formed a partnership in 1995. Katie Bloom was (and remains) married to Godfrey Bloom, who later became a UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEP. Collins became interested in the party, which she joined in 2003.