Geraint Davies (Labour politician)

Infobox Politician
name=Geraint Richard Davies

---

country=United Kingdom
term_start =2 May 1997
term_end = 5 May 2005
predecessor =Paul Beresford
successor =Andrew Pelling
birth_date =Birth date and age|1960|5|3|df=y
birth_place =Chester, England
spouse= Dr. Vanessa Fry
constituency=Croydon Central
party=Labour Co-operative

Geraint Richard Davies (born 3 May 1960) is a British politician who was the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Croydon Central for eight years. He had previously served as Leader of Croydon Borough Council, and has since been selected as Labour Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for the Swansea West constituency.

Personal life

Davies' family comes from west Wales; his civil servant father is from Aberystwyth and his mother's family are from Swansea. He was brought up in Cardiff where he attended Llanishen Comprehensive School, before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Jesus College, Oxford; while at Oxford he was Junior Common Room President."Dod's Guide to the General Election, June 2001", Vacher Dod Publishing, 2001, p. 92.] He married to Dr. Vanessa Fry in September 1991 and now lives in Swansea.

Croydon politics

Davies joined Unilever as a Group Product Manager in 1982, and later became a marketing manager for Colgate-Palmolive Ltd. He became active in the Labour Party, being Assistant Secretary for Croydon North East Labour Party and an Executive member of Croydon Central Constituency Labour Party, and was a member of the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs,"The Times Guide to the House of Commons 1987" (Times Books, 1987), p. 88.] and later the Manufacturing, Science and Finance union."The Times Guide to the House of Commons 1992" (Times Books, 1992), p. 87.]

Political career

Municipal life

He was elected to Croydon Borough Council in 1986 for New Addington ward, which he retained at the 1990 and 1994. Davies became Managing Partner of Pure Crete Ltd, described as a 'Green tour operator', in 1989.

When Labour won control of Croydon Borough Council in the 1994 election, Davies became Chairman of the Housing Committee, and in 1996 was chosen as Leader of the Council. He was chair of the London Boroughs Association Housing Committee from 1996 to 1997.

Election to Parliament

At the 1987 general election, Davies contested the Croydon South constituency, where he was placed third with less than 10% of the votes. [cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge87/i06.htm |title=United Kingdom general election results June 1987 |publisher=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |accessdate=2007-08-29] In 1992, he stood in the more promising Croydon Central constituency, where he took second place, slightly reducing a large Conservative Party majority. [cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge92/i06.htm |title=United Kingdom general election results April 1992 |publisher=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |accessdate=2007-08-29] At the 1997 general election, aged 37, he overturned the Conservative majority of 14,661 and was elected as Croydon Central's MP a with Labour majority of 3,897. [cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/constit/022.htm |title=Croydon Central |publisher=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |accessdate=2007-08-29]

In Parliament

While in Parliament, Davies was elected as Chair of the Environment Transport & Regions Departmental Committee and served on the Public Accounts Committee.

Davies was appointed NSPCC Parliamentary Ambassador in 2003 (-2005) following his sponsorship of the [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmbills/092/2003092.htm Regulation of Childcare Providers Bill] in April 2003 and the [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmbills/143/2003143.htm Physical Punishment of Children (Prohibition) Bill] in July 2003. He sought to address children's issues with a Healthy Children Manifesto (June 2004) to ban junk food advertising to children and regulate food labeling (adopted by Government 11/06) and a [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmbills/037/2005037.htm School Meals and Nutrition Bill] in January 2005 that sought to include nutrition in OFSTED and to ban unhealthy vending (provisions adopted 3/05 & 10/05). He also sponsored the [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/cm200304/cmbills/114/2004114.htm Regulation of Hormone Disrupting Chemicals Bill] (May 2004) to impose precautionary bans on chemicals with evidence of being dangerous. This bill was incorporated in the EU REACH directive 09/06 and supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature UK.

For his Parliamentary Expenses for the year 2004–2005, Davies received £176,026, which was the highest expense claim for that Year. [ [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/geraint_davies/croydon_central Theyworkforyou.com] ] Davies said "this shows I was one of the most hard-working MPs in Britain." [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4383038.stm |title=MPs' expenses claims exceed £80m |date=2005-10-27 |accessdate=2005-10-01 |publisher=BBC News Online ]

Davies was re-elected in 2001 with a slightly increased majority of 3,984. At the 2005 election his vote fell by 1,700 and the Conservative candidate Andrew Pelling gained 2,300 to take the seat with a majority of 75 votes. [cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge05/i06.htm |title=United Kingdom general election results May 2005 |publisher=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |accessdate=2007-08-29]

Voting Record

In the House of Commons, Davies was a loyal backbencher, hardly ever voting against the government whip. He supported the government in most of the major parliamentary rebellions, including the Iraq war and the introducing of ID cards, but opposed Reform of the House of Lords. [cite web |url=http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/geraint_davies/croydon_central|title=Geraint Davies's Voting Record|publisher=theyworkforyou.com|accessdate=2007-10-01]

Swansea West

Davies serves as a school governor at Dylan Thomas Comprehensive School, Swansea. In July 2007 Geraint Davies was selected to succeed Alan Williams MP, the Father of the House, as Labour's candidate for the Swansea West constituency at the next general election.cite web |url=http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=161822&command=displayContent&sourceNode=161500&contentPK=17840546&folderPk=88502&pNodeId=161413 |title=Former MP is Labour choice |author=Evans, Jason |date=2007-07-16 |publisher=Swansea Evening Post] The contest generated a record 80% member participation and a clear result, and he is strongly endorsed by Alan Williams, and by Assembly Minister Andrew Davies. [cite web |url=http://www.labourhome.org/story/2007/7/16/212535/048 |title=Geraint Davies: Swansea West |date=2007-07-17 |accessdate=2007-10-01 ]

References