Mike Jones leaves The Stand

Mike Jones is standing down as managing director of The Stand comedy clubs after seven years in the post.

The chain – which has branches in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle – says he will be leaving on October 7.

In a statement, The Stand said: ‘We are grateful for his time in this role and for the contribution he has made to the company.

'During his time in post Mike has helped steer The Stand in opening new venues, not closing during the challenging Covid period, and holding fast to our principal commitments of paying our staff and comics fairly.

‘Mike also enabled the Newcastle club to develop a strong foothold in the North East and become a successful third venue for The Stand. 

‘Mike helped to achieve the recent successful relocation of the Glasgow Stand and supported our dedicated team to deliver their most successful Fringe since 2019. We wish Mike the very best in his next chapter.’

The move comes six months after founder Tommy Sheppard retired as chairman of the board, 30 years after setting up the club. He was also formerly an SNP MP.

He was replaced by comics Jay Lafferey and Paul Sneddon as joint chairs. But Sneddon,who performs as Vladimir McTavish, died this summer.

Published: 2 Oct 2026