| David Davies MP |
|
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Monmouth |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Huw Edwards |
| Majority | 10,425 (22.4%) |
| Member of the Welsh Assembly for Monmouth |
|
| In office 6 May 1999 – 3 May 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Constituency Created |
| Succeeded by | Nick Ramsay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 July 1970 Newham, London, England |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Aliz Harnisfoger |
| Website | www.david-daviesmp.co.uk |
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.
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Davies was born in London 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 grapes 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.[1] He is also a Special Constable with the British Transport Police.[2]
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.
He unsuccessfully contested the safe Labour 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,[3] 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.[1][4]
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.[5] In parliament he joined the Welsh Affairs Select Committee on his election.
David is President of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association [6]
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.[7] The Monmouth MP attracted criticism with a speech condemning the NBPA's race-based membership policy.[8]
Davies has said "I support the sentiments of Better Off Out" which campaigns for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.[9]
Davies was criticised in January 2010 for referring to some ethnic groups, as "having barbaric views on women".[10]
Davies claimed that the Labour party think he is a Nazi.[11]
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' [12]
Davies was criticised by The Daily Telegraph, for claiming £2,000 pounds and paying it to a family business.[13] Davies justified his actions in an interview.[14] David later said he had done nothing wrong.[15] All of Davies's expenses are available here.[16][17]
| National Assembly for Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Assembly Member for Monmouth 1999 – 2007 |
Succeeded by Nick Ramsay |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Huw Edwards |
Member of Parliament for Monmouth 2005–present |
Incumbent |