Mims Davies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shadow Secretary of State for Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 5 November 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Kemi Badenoch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Baron Davies of Gower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shadow Minister for Women[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 8 July 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Rishi Sunak Kemi Badenoch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Anneliese Dodds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament forEast Grinstead and Uckfield Mid Sussex (2019–2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Nicholas Soames | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 8,480 (16.8%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament forEastleigh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 7 May 2015 – 6 November 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Mike Thornton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Paul Holmes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Miriam Jane Alice Davies (1975-06-02)2 June 1975 (age 50) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Royal Russell School College of Richard Collyer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Swansea University (BA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miriam Jane Alice Davies[1] (born 2 June 1975), known asMims Davies, is a BritishConservative Party politician who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forEast Grinstead and Uckfield since 2024. She previously served as MP forEastleigh from2015 to2019 and MP forMid Sussex from2019 to 2024. Davies has served asShadow Secretary of State for Wales since November 2024, andShadow Minister for Women since July 2024.[2] She previously served in various ministerial positions between 2018 and 2024.
Davies was first elected to Parliament as MP forEastleigh in May 2015.[3] She was theParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales andParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Civil Societyand Loneliness inTheresa May's government from 2018 to 2019. AfterBoris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019, Davies was appointedParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment at theDepartment for Work and Pensions. She was elected in the2019 general election as the MP forMid Sussex.[4] She resigned as Employment Minister in July 2022, after losing confidence in Johnson's leadership.[5] Davies was re-elected to Parliament in 2024 after standing in the newly establishedEast Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
Miriam Davies was born on 2 June 1975. She was educated at the fee-payingRoyal Russell School inCroydon, and the state-sector College of Richard Collyer inHorsham,West Sussex. She then studied Politics and International Relations atSwansea University,[6] being the first in her family to enter higher education.[7]
After graduation inSwansea, she proceeded to train as a journalist in Wales, and worked primarily as a local radio presenter, reporter and producer at both Morriston Hospital Radio and the Wave Station in South Wales from 1992 to 2003, then BBC Wales between 2003 and 2004.[6][8][9][10][11][12]
It was during her life in Wales, as a radio DJ, that she earned the nickname "DJ Lovespoon".[9] She lived in the country for more than 10 years.
She later worked as a road safety communications officer with theAutomobile Association, thepolice force, and Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.[7]
Davies served as aConservative Party town councillor for Haywards Heath Town Council and as a District councillor onMid Sussex District Council for the Haywards Heath Lucastes ward from 2011 to 2015. Her political involvement began when she was co-opted onto Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common Parish Council.
At the2015 general election, Davies was elected to Parliament as MP forEastleigh with 42.3% of the vote and a majority of 9,147.[13]
She campaigned for the UK toleave theEuropean Union during the2016 referendum.[14]
Davies was re-elected as MP for Eastleigh at the snap2017 general election with an increased vote share of 50.4% and an increased majority of 14,179.[15]
Davies was appointed anAssistant Government Whip on 9 January 2018.
In theHouse of Commons she sat on the Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion and previously sat on theConsolidation Bills (Joint Committee) andWomen and Equalities Committee.[16] On 23 October 2018, Davies resigned from a committee chaired by Commons SpeakerJohn Bercow, citing lack of confidence in Bercow's ability to tackle bullying and sexual harassment problems in Parliament.[17][18][19][20]
On 5 November 2018, Davies was appointedMinister for Sport and Civil Society at theDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, after the resignation ofTracey Crouch over a delay to the introduction of reduced limits on the stakes offixed-odds betting terminals.
In February 2019, in her role as Sports Minister, she called for an urgent summit withEnglish football leaders (the FA, Premier League, and EFL) in order to address issues relating to abuse in the sport.[21] She suggested there should be a zero tolerance approach to problems concerning racist, homophobic and antisemitic chanting.[22]
In May 2019, she attended the "End the cage age" event campaigning against caged birds. This event was organised byCompassion in World Farming. Davies stated that she was against caged laying hens.[23]
In July 2019, newPrime MinisterBoris Johnson appointed Davies to the position ofParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment at theDepartment for Work and Pensions.
Davies announced on 30 October 2019 that she would be standing down as MP for Eastleigh in order to spend more time with her children; she later announced she was to be on the shortlist forMid Sussex.[24][25] On 9 November, she was selected to stand for the seat. At the2019 general election, she was elected as MP for Mid Sussex with 53.3% of the vote and a majority of 18,197.[4]
On 6 July 2022 she resigned from her position as Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, havinglost confidence in Boris Johnson as a result of theChris Pincher scandal.[5]
Due to the2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Davies' constituency of Mid Sussex was essentially abolished, though a new constituency with substantially different boundaries was created, and replaced withEast Grinstead and Uckfield. At the2024 general election, Davies was elected to Parliament as MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield with 38.3% of the vote and a majority of 8,480.[26]
On 8 July 2024, Davies was appointed asShadow Minister for Women and Equalities forRishi Sunak's shadow cabinet.[27]
In October 2024, she was elected as a member of theCulture, Media and Sport Committee.[28]
Davies was appointed to the role ofParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales on 26 July 2018.[29] Whilst at theWales Office, Davies helped deliver the North Wales Growth Deal and the abolition of the Severn Bridge tolls.[8][30]
On 5 November 2024, after theWelsh Conservatives lost all of its MPs in the2024 General Election Davies was appointed asShadow Secretary of State for Wales inKemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet, replacingByron Davies, Baron Davies of Gower.[31]
In an op-ed, Davies described her appointment to theShadow Secretary of State for Wales role as "one of the highest honours in her life".[32]
In February 2025, Davies criticisedJo Stevens, claiming theSecretary of State for Wales was “politicising” impartial civil servants.[33]
In May, Davies wrote an op-ed condemning a Welsh Labour council for showing pupils material how to "safely choke people in sex". Davies said: "It is completely abhorrent to even try to normalise strangulation in any relationship where our young people are meant to be learning about trust, commitment and intimacy. We are clear this clueless Labour Council, and the Labour-run Welsh and UK Governments need to step in and stop this for the sake of young women and girls."[34][35]
She was a carer to her two elderly parents before becoming an MP, which she has said "informed a significant portion of her parliamentary work".[36] She is a keen runner and has completed several long-distance races, including the2017 London Marathon.[37]
Her husband Mark, who she married in 2000, and children are Welsh.[8]
When she lived in Wales Davies was a radio DJ and earned the nickname "DJ Lovespoon".[9]
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forEastleigh 2015–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forMid Sussex 2019–2024 | Succeeded by |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament forEast Grinstead and Uckfield 2024–present | Incumbent |