David Davies (politician)
Encyclopedia
David Thomas Charles Davies, MP
(born 27 July 1970) is a British
Conservative Party
politician
. He is the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Monmouth
in South Wales
. Davies is also a special police constable, and volunteers with his local police force.
and was educated at Bassaleg School
on Forge Lane in Bassaleg
, Newport
. After leaving school in 1988 he worked for the British Steel
Corporation and served with the Territorial Army, before he went travelling in Asia
and Australia
, whilst on his travels he had many small jobs including picking grape
s and tobacco
and running a backpacker's
hostel in Queensland
. He worked for his family in their shipping company, Burrow Heath Ltd, before he entered politics. He is also a Special Constable
with the British Transport Police
.
He married Aliz Harnisfoger, who is Hungarian
, in October 2003 in Monmouth and they have three children (including a daughter born August 2004). He has been the deputy leader of the Conservative Party in Wales
since 1999, and he enjoys surfing
and can often be found in the sea at Porthcawl
or Llantwit Major
.
seat of Bridgend
at the 1997 General Election
but finished in second place some 15,248 votes behind the sitting Labour MP Win Griffiths
. As an opponent of the Welsh assembly who helped to set up the 'No' campaign in the devolution referendum, Davies became prominent and was selected as Conservative candidate for Monmouth
. At the inaugural 1999 Welsh Assembly Election
he won election to the National Assembly for Wales
there.
He was elected as member of the House of Commons at the 2005 General Election
for Monmouth, the same seat he holds in the Welsh Assembly. He defeated the sitting Labour MP Huw Edwards
by 4,527 votes, and remains the MP there. He made his maiden speech
on 18 May 2005, in which he gave a history of his constituency from Geoffrey of Monmouth
forwards. In parliament he joined the Welsh Affairs
Select Committee on his election.
David is President of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association
As his name sounds the same as David Davis
, a candidate in the 2005 Conservative leadership contest
, confusion could occur between the two in Westminster. Therefore, David Davies is referred to in the House of Commons in Westminster as David T.C. Davies. This has caused opposition MPs to refer to him in jest as Top Cat
, a cartoon character who shares the same initials, T.C.. This confusion led to controversy in 2008 when the National Black Police Association mistakenly invited Davies to speak at a conference instead of his more prominent near-namesake. The Monmouth MP attracted criticism with a speech condemning the NBPA's race-based membership policy.
Davies has said "I support the sentiments of Better Off Out
" which campaigns for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union
.
Davies was criticised in January 2010 for referring to some ethnic groups, as "having barbaric views on women".
Davies claimed that the Labour party think he is a Nazi.
Davies, when referring to Active members of Al Qaeda and the Taliban living in this country and not being deported because of concerns about their human rights, said that if something horrible happens to them if they are sent home‘Personally I would have thought that would be a bonus rather than a reason for not sending them back'
, for claiming £2,000 pounds and paying it to a family business. Davies justified his actions in an interview. David later said he had done nothing wrong. All of Davies's expenses are available here.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(born 27 July 1970) is a British
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Monmouth
Monmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouth is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post of election...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Davies is also a special police constable, and volunteers with his local police force.
Background
Davies was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and was educated at Bassaleg School
Bassaleg School
Bassaleg School is a comprehensive secondary school for pupils aged 11-18, situated in the suburb of Bassaleg on the western side of the city Newport, South Wales.The present buildings of the school range in age from the early 20th century to the present day...
on Forge Lane in Bassaleg
Bassaleg
Bassaleg is a small semi-urban suburb on the west side of the city of Newport, in south Wales. It lies in the Graig electoral ward and community.- Location, communications & amenities:Bassaleg is located two miles north west of Newport city centre...
, Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. After leaving school in 1988 he worked for the British Steel
British Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
Corporation and served with the Territorial Army, before he went travelling in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, whilst on his travels he had many small jobs including picking grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and running a backpacker's
Backpacking (travel)
Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used...
hostel in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. He worked for his family in their shipping company, Burrow Heath Ltd, before he entered politics. He is also a Special Constable
Special constable
A Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
with the British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
.
He married Aliz Harnisfoger, who is Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, in October 2003 in Monmouth and they have three children (including a daughter born August 2004). He has been the deputy leader of the Conservative Party in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
since 1999, and he enjoys surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
and can often be found in the sea at Porthcawl
Porthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
or Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major is a small coastal town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the Bristol Channel coast. A small stream, the Afon Col-huw, runs through the town.-Local government:...
.
Political career
He unsuccessfully contested the safe LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
seat of Bridgend
Bridgend (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-See also:* Bridgend * List of Parliamentary constituencies in Mid Glamorgan-Notes and references:...
at the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
but finished in second place some 15,248 votes behind the sitting Labour MP Win Griffiths
Win Griffiths
Winston James Griffiths, known as Win Griffiths, is a politician in the United Kingdom, and ex-member of Parliament for Bridgend for the Labour Party. He was first elected in 1987, having previously been a member of the European Parliament. He stood down from Parliament in 2005. He is now...
. As an opponent of the Welsh assembly who helped to set up the 'No' campaign in the devolution referendum, Davies became prominent and was selected as Conservative candidate for Monmouth
Monmouth (National Assembly for Wales constituency)
Monmouth is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the South Wales East electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight...
. At the inaugural 1999 Welsh Assembly Election
Welsh Assembly election, 1999
The first National Assembly for Wales elections were held on 6 May 1999. The overall turnout of voters was 46.3%. Although the Welsh Labour Party were the biggest party, they did not gain enough seats to form a majority government and instead entered into coalition with the Liberal Democrats...
he won election to the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
there.
He was elected as member of the House of Commons at the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
for Monmouth, the same seat he holds in the Welsh Assembly. He defeated the sitting Labour MP Huw Edwards
Huw Edwards (politician)
Huw William Edmund Edwards is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Monmouth over two separate terms....
by 4,527 votes, and remains the MP there. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 18 May 2005, in which he gave a history of his constituency from Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
forwards. In parliament he joined the Welsh Affairs
Wales Office
The Wales Office / Swyddfa Cymru is a United Kingdom government department. It replaced the former Welsh Office, which had extensive responsibility for governing Wales prior to Welsh devolution in 1999....
Select Committee on his election.
David is President of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association
As his name sounds the same as David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
, a candidate in the 2005 Conservative leadership contest
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005
The 2005 Conservative leadership election was called by party leader Michael Howard on 6 May 2005, when he announced that he would be stepping down as leader in the near future. However, he stated that he would not depart until a review of the rules for the leadership election had been conducted,...
, confusion could occur between the two in Westminster. Therefore, David Davies is referred to in the House of Commons in Westminster as David T.C. Davies. This has caused opposition MPs to refer to him in jest as Top Cat
Top Cat
Top Cat is a Hanna-Barbera prime time animated television series which ran from September 27, 1961 to April 18, 1962 for a run of 30 episodes on the ABC network. Reruns are played on Cartoon Network's classic animation network Boomerang.-History:...
, a cartoon character who shares the same initials, T.C.. This confusion led to controversy in 2008 when the National Black Police Association mistakenly invited Davies to speak at a conference instead of his more prominent near-namesake. The Monmouth MP attracted criticism with a speech condemning the NBPA's race-based membership policy.
Davies has said "I support the sentiments of Better Off Out
Better Off Out
Better Off Out is the name of a non-party campaign run by The Freedom Association to call for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union...
" which campaigns for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Davies was criticised in January 2010 for referring to some ethnic groups, as "having barbaric views on women".
Davies claimed that the Labour party think he is a Nazi.
Davies, when referring to Active members of Al Qaeda and the Taliban living in this country and not being deported because of concerns about their human rights, said that if something horrible happens to them if they are sent home‘Personally I would have thought that would be a bonus rather than a reason for not sending them back'
Expenses
Davies was criticised by The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, for claiming £2,000 pounds and paying it to a family business. Davies justified his actions in an interview. David later said he had done nothing wrong. All of Davies's expenses are available here.
External links
- David Davies MP official constituency website
- David Davies MP Conservative Party profile
- David Davies MP Welsh Conservative Party profile
- Welsh Affairs Select Committee, House of Commons