Sir Ed Davey | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
| Assumed office 27 August 2020[a] | |
| Deputy | Daisy Cooper |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Jo Swinson |
| Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 3 September 2019 – 27 August 2020 | |
| Leader |
|
| Preceded by | Jo Swinson |
| Succeeded by | Daisy Cooper |
| Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change | |
| In office 3 February 2012 – 8 May 2015 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Chris Huhne |
| Succeeded by | Amber Rudd |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs | |
| In office 20 May 2010 – 3 February 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Anthony Young |
| Succeeded by | Norman Lamb |
| Member of Parliament forKingston and Surbiton | |
| Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |
| Preceded by | James Berry |
| Majority | 17,235 (34.1%) |
| In office 1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | James Berry |
| Liberal Democrat portfolios | |
| 2005–2006 | Education and Skills |
| 2006–2007 | Trade and Industry |
| 2007–2010 | Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs |
| 2017–2019 | Home Affairs |
| 2019 | Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy |
| 2019–2020 | Treasury |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edward Jonathan Davey (1965-12-25)25 December 1965 (age 59) Mansfield, England |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | www |
Sir Edward Jonathan DaveyFRSA (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has been theLeader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020.[a] He served in theCameron–Clegg coalition asSecretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 to 2015 and asDeputy Leader toJo Swinson in 2019. An "Orange Book" liberal, he has beenMember of Parliament (MP) forKingston and Surbiton since 2017, a seat he previously held from 1997 to 2015.[1][2]
Davey was born inMansfield, Nottinghamshire. After both his parents died before he was 16, Davey was raised by his grandparents, and subsequently attendedNottingham High School. He then went on to study atJesus College, Oxford, andBirkbeck, University of London. He was an economics researcher andfinancial analyst before being elected to theHouse of Commons. Davey served as aLiberal Democrat spokesperson toCharles Kennedy,Menzies Campbell andNick Clegg from 2005 to 2010, in various portfolios includingeducation and skills,trade and industry, andforeign and Commonwealth affairs.
In 2010, after the Liberal Democrats entered intoa coalition government with theConservative Party, Davey served asParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs from 2010 to 2012,[3] and inDavid Cameron'sCabinet asSecretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 to 2015, followingChris Huhne's resignation.[4] Davey focused on increasing competition in the energy market by removingbarriers to entry for smaller companies, and streamlining thecustomer switching process.[5] He also approved the construction ofHinkley Point C nuclear power station.[6] As postal affairs minister, Davey did not investigate the details of thePost Office Horizon scandal that had led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters, but was the only Post Office minister to meetAlan Bates, the founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance.
Davey lost his seat in the2015 general election and wasknighted in the2016 New Year Honours for political and public service. He regained his seat in the2017 general election, and served as theLiberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson from 2017 to 2019. After the retirement ofVince Cable, Davey unsuccessfully ran against Jo Swinson in the2019 Liberal Democrats leadership election, and was later appointedLiberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson andelected unopposed as thedeputy leader of the Liberal Democrats. After Swinson lost her seat at the2019 general election, Davey, while remaining deputy leader, served as acting leader alongside Liberal Democrat presidentsBaroness Brinton andMark Pack from December 2019 to August 2020.[7][8]
Davey stood in the2020 Liberal Democrats leadership election, in which he defeatedLayla Moran with 63.5% of the vote. In his leadership bid he said he would prioritise defeating the Conservatives and ruled out working with them following the2024 general election. Under Davey's leadership, the Liberal Democrats have made gains in local elections alongsideLabour, with both parties making gains in the2024 local elections, where the Liberal Democrats finished second for the first time in a local election cycle since2009. In the2024 general election Davey led his party to both their highest ever number of seats and the highest number of seats for a third party since1923, and was noted, with praise and criticism, for his campaign stunts.
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Energy and Climate Change Secretary (2012–2015) Elections
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Edward Davey was born on 25 December 1965 inMansfield, Nottinghamshire.[9][10] His father John (1932 – March 1970), a solicitor, died when Davey was four years old in Mansfield General Hospital, three months after being diagnosed with cancer.[11][12] His mother, Nina Davey (née Stanbrook), died 11 years later when Davey was 15,[13] after which he was brought up by his maternal grandparents in the village ofEakring.[14] Davey acted as a carer for his terminally ill mother before her death, and also cared for his grandmother.[15]
Davey was in both the 90th Nottingham Scout group[16] and the 17th NottinghamAir Scout group.[17] He sang in the local church choir, St John's.[18] Like his two brothers, Davey received the Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award, meeting Prince Philip on 2 March 1984 when the Prince visited his school, the privateNottingham High School, where Davey was head boy.[19] He took A-levels in German, French and History.[20] One of his two brothers attendedTrent Polytechnic, becoming a solicitor.[21] After leaving school, Davey attendedJesus College, Oxford,[22] where he was awarded a first classBA degree inphilosophy, politics and economics in 1988.[14] He wasJCR President.[14]
In 1989, he became an economics researcher for theLiberal Democrats,[22] principally toAlan Beith,[14] the party's then-Treasury spokesman, whilst studying atBirkbeck College, London,[22] for amaster's degree (MSc) in economics.[14] He was closely involved in the development of Liberal Democrat policies such as an additional penny on income tax to fund education, andcentral bank independence, for the1992 general election.[23] From 1993 to 1997, he worked inbusiness forecasting andmarket analysis formanagement consultancy firm Omega Partners.[24]
Davey was elected to theHouse of Commons, at his first attempt, in the1997 general election, where he defeatedRichard Tracey, the sittingConservative MP for the former constituency ofSurbiton, with a majority of just 56 votes, and remained the seat's MP for 18 years.[25] In hismaiden speech, on 6 June 1997, he gave his support for the setting up of theLondon Assembly, but was against the idea of a directly electedMayor of London; he also spoke of the effects governmental cuts were having on education delivery in theRoyal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.[26]
In 1998, he was the primary sponsor of anearly day motion supporting the repeal of theGreenwich judgment, which prevents local authorities from giving their own residents priority access to school places.[27]
In 2001, he opposed government proposals for restrictions ongambling machines, which he described as a "silly bit ofnanny state politics".[28][29][30]
In January 2003, Davey publicly backed local constituent andNHSwhistleblower Ian Perkin, who alleged he had been sacked from his director of finance role for exposing statistics manipulation atSt George's NHS healthcare trust.[31][32] Davey condemned the NHS bureaucracy as "Stalinist" and called for an inquiry into Perkin's case,[33][34] while personally meeting trust executives to discuss the case on behalf of Perkin.[35]
In February 2003, Davey introduced the clause which repealed the prohibition of "promotion of homosexuality" underSection 28 of theLocal Government Act 1988.[36] The legislation was repealed in March.[37] He was one of the contributors toThe Orange Book (2004).[25]
In 2006, Davey was one of eight Liberal Democrat MPs, includingJeremy Browne andMark Oaten, who opposed a total ban on smoking in clubs and pubs.[38] He called the ban "a bit too nanny state".[39][40]
In an article for theFinancial Times in 2007, Davey andLSE economistTim Leunig proposed a new system of community land auctions throughsealed bids with a new tax, to take place before the land was givenplanning permission. They suggested that councils could take in tax the difference between the land owner'sasking price and the highest bidder's offer, claiming this would stimulatedevelopment and the revenue then used to lower other taxation.[41][42]
Following Davey's election to parliament in 1997, he was appointed as the Lib Dem's spokesman onTreasury Affairs. He added the post ofwhip in 1998, and as the spokesman on London from 2000.
Davey was re-elected in the2001 general election, increasing his share of the vote from 36.7% to 60.2%. He increased his majority from just 56 to 15,676, beating former Conservative MPDavid Shaw. He joined the Liberal Democrat frontbench under LeaderCharles Kennedy in the same year when he was appointed the party's spokesperson forTreasury matters. In 2002, he became the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for theOffice of the Deputy Prime Minister. He was appointed spokesperson forEducation and Skills in 2005, before becoming spokesperson forTrade and Industry in March 2006. In December 2006, he succeededNorman Lamb as Chief of Staff toMenzies Campbell, the new party leader.[25] Davey was chair of the party's Campaigns and Communications Committee. FollowingNick Clegg's election as Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Davey was awarded the Foreign Affairs brief, and continued to retain his chairmanship of the party's Campaigns and Communications Committee.[14]
On 26 February 2008, Davey wassuspended from parliament for the day for ignoring a warning from the Deputy Speaker. He was protesting about the exclusion by the Speaker of a Liberal Democrat motion to debate and vote on whether theUK should have a referendum on staying in the EU.[43]
At the 2009 Liberal Democrat conference, Davey caused controversy by calling for dialogue with theTaliban, through declaring that it was "time for tea with the Taliban",[44] a comment echoed byMalala Yousafzai four years later to the BBC.[45]
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Following theConservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement, after the2010 general election, Davey was appointedParliamentary Under Secretary of State in theDepartment for Business, Innovation and Skills[46][47] with responsibility for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs.[48][49] In addition, he was appointed as theMinister of State for Trade Policy.[50][51][52] As aParliamentary Under Secretary, Davey led the establishment of an unofficial 'like-minded group for growth'ginger group within theEuropean Union, convening several economically liberal European governments behind an agenda ofderegulation,free trade,liberalisation ofservices and adigital single market.[53][54][55][56][57] He was involved in the provisional application phase of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and South Korea.[58][59][60]
In January 2011, he faced protests bypostal workers in his Kingston and Surbiton constituency for his role in the privatisation ofRoyal Mail.[61] Also in 2011, Davey announced several reforms to thelabour market, mainly aimed at improvinglabour market flexibility. These reforms included cuts tored tape and easing dismissal laws, and were accompanied by reviews from theInstitute of Economic Affairs into compensation payments and theTUPE. Davey also announced that the government would abolish the default retirement age.[62][63][64][65]
As Minister for Postal Affairs, Davey did not investigate the details of theHorizon Post Office scandal that had led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters. He was, however, the only Post Office minister to meetAlan Bates, the founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, with this meeting taking place in October 2010.[66][67][68] Following criticism in 2024, Davey expressed regret and said that he had been misled byPost Office officials.[69][70] FollowingPaula Vennells's decision to hand back herCBE over her role during the scandal, Davey came under pressure to return his knighthood because of his role during it.[71] However, Davey said he was "completely surprised" as to why the Conservatives had awarded Vennells a CBE in 2019.[66]
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On 3 February 2012, following the resignation ofSecretary of State for Energy and Climate ChangeChris Huhne after his conviction of perverting the course of justice in relation to speeding offences, Davey was appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and was appointed to thePrivy Council on 8 February.[72] As Secretary of State, Davey also became a member of theNational Security Council. In late 2012, theDaily Mail published an article questioning Davey's loyalty to Clegg. Responding in an interview, Davey rejected the claims of the article, saying instead he thought Clegg was "the best leader" the Liberal Democrats had ever had and that he personally was a member of Clegg's "Praetorian Guard".[73]
In 2013, Davey set up the Green Growth Group, bringing together environmental and climate ministers from across theEuropean Union in an effort to promote growth, investment in renewable andnuclear energy, liberalisation of the European energy market, a globalcarbon market, trade in energy,carbon capture technology,energy efficiency, and competition.[56][74][75][76][77][78] Domestically, Davey focused on increasing competition in the energy market by removingbarriers to entry for smaller companies, and streamlining thecustomer switching process, declaring in 2013 that "competition works".[79][80] Abroad, Davey promoted investment in the British energy sector by foreign companies from countries such asJapan,South Korea, andChina, making significant diplomatic trips to the latter two countries in order to highlight investment opportunities.[81][82][83][84]
In October 2013, during a BBCNewsnight segment on energy bills, Davey was asked by BBC presenterJeremy Paxman whether or not he wore ajumper (to stay warm) at home, to which Davey replied that he did but stressed that competition and energy efficiency were the solutions to lowering energy bills. The following day, various media outlets reported that Davey had advised for people to wear jumpers at home to save on energy bills, although he had not. The controversy then spread when Prime MinisterDavid Cameron's official spokesman told a reporter that people may wish to "consider" advice by charities to wrap up warmly, leading to media outlets reporting thatNumber 10 was also suggesting wearing jumpers to cut energy bills, with the supposed suggestion being seized upon by the opposition Labour Party. Number 10 later issued a statement rebutting the media reports.[85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92] In April 2014, Davey called for theG7 to begin reduction of dependency onRussian energy following theRevolution of Dignity and commencement of theRusso-Ukrainian War.[93] Davey argued the benefits of investment inonshore wind energy from companies such asSiemens was a key part of the push to reduce dependence on Russian energy,[94] while "more diversified supplies of gas" includingfrom the US and domesticshale gas would also help.[95] In May 2014 at a meeting in Rome, G7 energy ministers including Davey agreed formally to a process for reducing dependency on Russian energy; "Putin has crossed a line", Davey declared.[96]
Throughout and after the coalition, Davey's ministerial career came under scrutiny from political figures and the media. On the right, ConservativesNigel Lawson andPeter Lilley were critical of Davey's environmental stances,[97][98] and he was lampooned byThe Telegraph sketch writerMichael Deacon.[99] He was also criticised by left-wing figures such asGreen MP forBrighton PavilionCaroline Lucas over his support offracking,[100] and by the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of theLabour PartyEd Miliband for Davey's warning that Labour's price control policy would causeblackouts.[101] Luxembourgish MEP and environmentalistClaude Turmes alleged in his 2017 bookEnergy Transformation that Davey's Green Growth Group was actually a front for British nuclear interests.[75] Conversely, Davey's promotion to the role of Energy Secretary was hailed byThe Economist, which viewed him favourably as a "pragmatic" and "free market liberal".[102] In "The Liberal Democrats and supply-side economics", published in an issue of theInstitute of Economic Affairs'Economic Affairs journal, Davey was identified as the Liberal Democrat who had achieved the most in terms ofsupply-side reforms.[103] Conservative MP and formerChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of State for Government PolicyOliver Letwin credited Davey and his "like-minded" group of economically liberal governments as having helped to curb regulatory enthusiasm within the European Union.[57]
Leading up to the2015 general election, Davey was viewed by various sources as a potential successor to Clegg.[104][105][106][107] Political commentatorGary Gibbon speculated that due to Davey's association with the Orange Book wing of the party, the tenuousness ofDanny Alexander's parliamentary seat, andDavid Laws' unwillingness, the role of "heir" would naturally fall to Davey.[108][109]
At the 2015 general election, Davey was defeated byConservative candidateJames Berry by 2,834 votes after the Liberal Democrat vote fell by more than 15 per cent in Kingston and Surbiton. This made him the first cabinet minister to lose their seat sinceMichael Portillo in 1997.[110]
Davey later told reporters he was "obviously disappointed" with his defeat, but said it had not been a total shock. "We knew it would be close – we had it written on our leaflets. But I don't think the voters did", he said. "When I was out canvassing today I had a man said to me: 'You'll be fine, Ed'. I wish I had a vote for all the people who told me I would be fine. The party is clearly paying some price for going into coalition with the Conservatives. We put the national interest above the party interest which was the right thing to do at the time. I have no regrets on that. I think we are seeing a national thing here. We have had a very bad night nationally."[111]
At the end of 2015, he accepted aknighthood for 'political and public service' which was announced in the2016 New Year Honours list.[112]
Davey regained Kingston and Surbiton for the Liberal Democrats at the2017 general election, with a majority of 4,124 votes over Berry.[113] Upon his return to Parliament, Davey was considered a possible candidate for theLiberal Democrat leadership election following the resignation ofTim Farron. However, he ruled out standing over family concerns, but called on the Liberal Democrats to be "the party of reform" and "super-ambitious – just likeradical centrists in Canada, France and the Netherlands".[114] Davey was then theLiberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, having previously served asLiberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson from 2017 to 2019.[115]
Following the2019 European Parliament election, Liberal Democrat leader SirVince Cable announced his intention "to hand over a bigger, stronger party" to a new leader, triggering aparty leadership contest.[116] Davey announced his candidacy for the role on 30 May, stating his belief that action must be taken in Parliament to prevent a"no deal" Brexit, and highlighting his support for stronger action to limitglobal warming.[117][118] Davey lost this race toJo Swinson, with 36.9% of the vote to Swinson's 63.1%.[119] On 3 September 2019, Davey was elected as Swinson's deputy leader.[120][121]
Following Jo Swinson's resignation as a result of losing her seat inthe 2019 general election, Davey became interim co-leader alongside the party president (at first Baroness Brinton, and then Mark Pack).
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In June 2020, whilst acting leader, Davey launched his bid to become leader saying that his "experience as a carer can help rebuild Britain after theCOVID-19 pandemic".[122] He proposed the establishment of abasic income to support carers, and said that the Liberal Democrats should be "the party of social care".[57][123][124] Davey ruled out a formal electoral agreement with the Labour Party, but said that he would prioritise defeating the Conservatives, and ruled out working with the Conservatives following the next election.[57][125] He proposed a plan to reducecarbon emissions from domestic flights to zero by 2030 through investment in research and technology.[126] In a hustings event with Welsh members, he said that the2021 Senedd election was a priority and he expected success for the Liberal Democrats.[75]
Davey was one of two candidates running for leader in the Liberal Democrats leadership election, competing withLayla Moran. One recurring theme of the leadership campaign was Davey's record in the Cameron-Clegg coalition government, and the policies that government had enacted. Moran is considered to be more left-wing than Davey and representing a break from the coalition years.[127][128] Alongside Clegg and many of the Liberal Democrats who served in the governing Conservative-Lib Dem coalition of 2010–2015, Davey is associated with the party's right-wingOrange Booker branch. The record of the coalition, which caused a decline in popularity of the Liberal Democrats after 2015, has been defended by Davey.[129]
On 27 August, Davey won the leadership election with 42,756 votes, which translated to 63.5% of total votes. In his victory speech, Davey said that the Liberal Democrats must "wake up and smell the coffee" and "start listening" to ordinary people and those who "don't believe we share their values". He also stressed his experience in the coalition government, and his commitments to tackleclimate change. Moran later congratulated Davey onTwitter, saying "I look forward to working with him to campaign for a better future for Britain."[130][131]
Under Davey's leadership, the Liberal Democrats have made gains in local elections alongside Labour, with both parties making gains in the 2023 local elections and made further gains in the 2024 local elections, where the Liberal Democrats finished second for the first time in a local election cycle since2009.[132]
This general election is a chance to kick Rishi Sunak’s appalling Conservative government out of office and deliver the change the public is crying out for. For years the Conservative Party has taken voters for granted and lurched from crisis to crisis while the problems facing the country are getting so much worse. Every vote for the Liberal Democrats at this election is a vote for a strong local champion who will stand up for your community and health services. It’s clear that in many seats across the country, the best way to beat the Conservatives is to vote for the Liberal Democrats.
— Ed Davey after the general election was called, May 2024
Davey led his party in the2024 general election, and was noted, with praise and criticism, for his campaign stunts.[133] When visitingWindermere, Davey fell off hispaddleboard, whilst campaigning to highlight the political issue ofsewage discharge in the United Kingdom.[134] A couple of days later, Davey won high-profile media attention when going down aSlip 'N Slide, whilst drawing attention to deterioratingmental health among children. When visitingEastbourne, Davey did a bungee jump, asking people to "take the plunge" and vote Liberal Democrat.[135] When asked about these stunts, Davey said: "Politicians need to take the concerns and interests of voters seriously but I'm not sure they need to take themselves seriously all the time and I'm quite happy to have some fun".[136]
Davey also spoke on his experience as a carer both for his mother when he was a child, and contemporarily for his son. This included an election broadcast focusing on his caring responsibilities, with Davey stating that the Liberal Democrat manifesto put health and care at the centre.[137]
On 10 June 2024, Davey launched the Liberal Democratmanifesto, titledFor a Fair Deal, in London.[138] He stressed that the Lib Dems are a "pro-European party"; the manifesto includes a promise for the UK to rejoin theEuropean single market.[139] Midway through the campaign, opinion pollstersYouGov found that 35% of Liberal Democrat voters did not recognise a photograph of Davey.[140] Amid thegeneral election betting scandal, Davey, whilst admitting that he had previously bet on the outcome of elections, called for a review of gambling laws.[141]
Davey led his party to both their highest ever number of seats and the highest number of seats for a third party since1923, restoring the Liberal Democrats as the third largest party in the House of Commons.[142] He celebrated by singingNeil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" at a Liberal Democrat party.[143] This also makes Davey able to ask two questions to the prime minister each week atPrime Minister's Questions, the first Liberal Democrat leader to do so since Nick Clegg in 2010. Davey said he was humbled by the results, and jokingly said: "I've rather enjoyed this campaign".[144] He retained Kingston and Surbiton for the Liberal Democrats at the election, with an increased majority.
Responding toKeir Starmer andRachel Reeves'first budget in October 2024, Davey described the government's plans on social care as “a good start” but inadequate. He also said that he thought that the budget may not offer British people "a sense of hope, urgency and the promise of a fair deal" and that more could have been done to help the more vulnerable people in society.[145][146]
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Davey identifies as aliberal politically, telling theTotal Politics magazine: "I personally think liberalism is the strongest political philosophy in the modern world.Socialism has failed. I think evensocial democracy, the watered down version which Labour sort of understand depending on which day of the week it is, is not very convincing, and I don't really understand where the Conservatives are coming from because they have so many philosophies within one party. There's no philosophy of the modern Conservative Party."[147] He has said that he believes "in thefree market and incompetition",[148] and during a parliamentarypublic bill committee debate in November 2010 argued in defence ofprivatisation,deregulation, and theprivate sector against Labour MPGregg McClymont.[149]
Davey describes himself as "aneconomist by trade."[150] He was a supporter of the coalition government, writing in a 2011 column for London newspaperGet West London that the coalition would "restoreliberty to the people" and that "Labour'snanny state will be cut back" in reference to the coalition's policies on civil liberties.[151] In 2012, Davey predicted the coalition government would be morepro-European Union thanTony Blair's Labour government, praising Conservative ministers and the then Prime MinisterDavid Cameron for relations they had developed with European counterparts.[152] Retrospectively, Davey said of the coalition in 2017: "I think the coalition government, when history looks at it, will go down as actually a pretty good government."[153]
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In 2017, Davey warned against a Conservative Party proposal for fines on large internet companies who fail to remove extremist and terrorist material from their platforms within 24 hours, which he claimed could lead to censorship if companies are forced to rush to remove such material and pointed to Germany as an example of where this approach has the potential to lead to censorship.[154] He thinkstechnology giants must not be treated as the "enemy" and accused the Conservatives of declaring an "all-out war" on the internet.[154] Similarly he is critical of Conservative proposals to weakenencryption because, according to Davey, encryption is important for individual security and helping businesses to thrive.[155]
In 2018, after the government'sInvestigatory Powers Act mass surveillance law was declared to be in breach of EU law, Davey commented that UK surveillance needed a "major overhaul" which puts "our freedoms and civil liberties at its very core" Davey's party opposes the mass surveillance law and had voted against it.[156][157]
Davey is supportive ofmarket solutions in the conventional energy sector,The Guardian describing him as a 'zealot' for markets. He has been highly critical ofprice controls such as those proposed by former Labour leaderEd Miliband; he considers them to be detrimental tocompetition and lowering prices for consumers.[158][159] He has promoted removal ofbarriers to entry to encourage new entrants into the energy market; "We began withderegulation. This stimulated a doubling of smaller firms" he wrote of his policy as Energy Secretary in 2014.[79][160] Additionally, he welcomed the rise ofconsumer switching websites.[79] He has, however, supported "properly designed and carefully targeted" short-term subsidies for some emerginggreen energy technologies in order to meet climate change targets.[161]
When cutting greenenergy subsidies as Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Davey said he "tended to try and marketise the reduction so people were competing for any remaining subsidies" throughContracts for difference (CfDs).[162] After leaving the office of Energy Secretary in 2015 he explained that he had planned to "eliminate subsidies over the coming years"[163] and had previously stated, "ultimately I don't want the government—the Secretary of State—to decide what thatlow carbon mix is . . . I want the markets and technology development and innovation to decide what that mix is."[159]
He has argued in favour of bothnuclear power andfracking as potential energy sources,[164][165] and natural gases astransitional fuels,[166] though he has warned that there should not be an over-reliance on them.[167][168]
Davey has previously argued against nuclear power but in 2013 he urged fellow Liberal Democrat members to support nuclear power, stating, "I've changed my mind because ofclimate change."[169]
Davey does not support the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union in the short term, in 2020 stating that the idea that people would want to consider re-joining the EU in two or three years' time as "being for the birds".[170][171] In January 2021 he clarified this position, stating that he is "determined the Liberal Democrats remain a pro-European party committed to the UK being members of the European Union again", adding that his party is "practical" about the matter.[172]Davey opposes asecond Scottish independence referendum arguing in 2022, that it would be "damaging to recovery."[173]
Following themurder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, Davey said that "Men have got to change" and suggested that we "educate boys and men to show more respect".[174] In May 2021, alongside celebrities and other public figures, Davey was a signatory to an open letter fromStylist magazine which called on the government to address what it described as an "epidemic of male violence" by funding an "ongoing, high-profile, expert-informed awareness campaign on men's violence against women and girls".[175]
A supporter of transgender rights, Davey believes thattransgender women should be given the same rights as cisgender women, which he made clear in a series of interviews on the day that a report into violence against women, commissioned in the wake of the Everard's murder, was published.[176][177][178]
Davey criticisedBoris Johnson after the2021 North Shropshire by-election where a Lib Dem candidate,Helen Morgan overturned a Conservative majority of nearly 23,000 to win the seat. Davey said it was a "watershed moment in our politics. Millions of people are fed up with Boris Johnson and his failure to provide leadership throughout the pandemic and last night the voters of North Shropshire spoke for all of them."[179]
In October 2024, Davey said he was “very minded” to vote against theTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to legaliseassisted dying forterminally ill adults, saying the UK should “do much better” on palliative care.[180]
Since the 2000s, Davey has been vocal on the issue ofdetention without trial, in particularGuantanamo andBagram, which he believed required transparency and formal investigation oftorture allegations.[181][182][183] He has opposed indefinite detention for illegal immigrants.[184]
Davey has been in support of trade to importnatural gas from countries including the United States andQatar,[185][186] and importation of green energy via newinterconnectors fromNorway andIreland.[187][188][189] Davey describes himself as a "strong free-trader", rejecting reciprocity in trade tariffs as "the classic protectionist argument". He believes Britain should be open to foreign investment, except for investment tainted by "smells that you have fromPutin."[159] He dismisses worries over foreign ownership and investment in the British economy such as that of French andChinese companies' involvement in the British energy market.[190][159]
In November 2023, Davey expressed support for a ceasefire in theGaza Strip following theGaza war, saying that "it is increasingly clear that a military solution to eliminateHamas is not possible. With a devastating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, an ongoing hostage situation, and growing risk of regional escalation, we must urgently demand a different approach."[191]
Following theattempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, Davey said "Political violence is wrong... We must all condemn this appalling attempt onDonald Trump's life."[192] However, after Trump won the2024 United States presidential election, Davey said it was a “dark, dark day for people around the globe”, branded Trump a "dangerous, destructive demagogue", and said that Trump "actively undermines the rule of law, human rights, international trade, climate action and global security."[193]
Davey took up several business appointments after leaving his role as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in May 2015.
Mongoose Energy appointed Davey as chairman in September 2015.[194][195]
Davey set up an independent consultancy in September 2015 to provide advice on energy and climate change.[194]
In January 2016 Davey was appointed as a part-time consultant toMHP Communications, the public relations and lobbying firm representingEDF Energy.[194] Davey was criticised bypress commentators for the potential conflict of interest between his previous role as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and his role at MHP. As Secretary of State Davey awarded EDF the contract to build anew nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset.[196][197]
Davey's appointment as Global Partner and non-Executive director of private equity investor Nord Engine Capital was announced in February 2016.[194][198]
In July 2016 he became non-paid patron of the Sustainable Futures Foundation, a charity promoting environmental sustainability for the public benefit.[194]
Until February 2021, Davey was on the advisory boards of the law firmHerbert Smith Freehills and of the fund manager NextEnergy Capital, which manages the listed companyNextEnergy Solar Fund; he resigned both roles in the wake of theparliamentary second jobs controversy.[199]
Davey is the Chair of the All-Party Britain-Republic of KoreaParliamentary Group (APPG).[200] He is also the Chair of the APPG on Charity Retail, the Vice Chair of the APPG for theAhmadiyya Muslim Community, and the Vice Chair of the APPG on Land Value Capture.[201][202][203]
On 28 November 2024, Davey released the Christmas charity single "Love is Enough" featuring theBath Philharmonia choir, entering the race to secure the Christmas number one.[204] The song is "a tribute to the caring responsibilities of young carers and the bond they share with the people they care for."[205] His decision to do a Christmas song was inspired by his time as a chorister when he was a teenager. All money raised from downloads and streams of the song will go to theCarers Trust and Bath Philarmonia.[206]
Davey said of the song: “I hope people listen to this song and download it and are as impressed as I am by the amazing talent of these young carers. I hope people take some time this Christmas to think about this amazing group of people who look after their loved ones from such an early age. This time of year is tough for all carers, particularly young ones – let's put them in the spotlight.”[207]
In the summer of 2005, Davey married Emily Gasson, the Liberal Democrat candidate forNorth Dorset at thethat year's general election.[208] They have a son named John (born December 2007) and a daughter named Ellie.[209] John has severe learning and physical disabilities due to an undiagnosed neurological condition and requires round-the-clock care, which is provided by Davey and Gasson as well as external carers, and is a key reason behind Davey's advocacy for carers.[15][210] John also has speech difficulties, spurring Davey's interest inspeech therapy.[211] The family lives inSurbiton, where Davey also lived before his election to Parliament in 1997.[212][213]
In addition to his native English, Davey speaks French, German, and Spanish.[214] He is a supporter ofNotts County FC.[215]
In 1995, Davey won aRoyal Humane Society bravery award and commendation from theChief constable of theBritish Transport Police for rescuing a woman who had fallen onto the railway line in the face of an oncoming train atClapham Junction railway station.[14][216]
In 2001 he was elected aFellow of theRoyal Society of Arts (FRSA).[217]
He was sworn in as a member ofHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on 8 February 2012, giving him thehonorific prefix "The Right Honourable" for life.
Davey wasknighted in the2016 New Years Honours List for 'political and public service',[112][218] enablinghim to wear theKnight Bachelorneck decoration onoccasions such asRemembrance Sunday.
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament forKingston and Surbiton 1997–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forKingston and Surbiton 2017–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Undersecretary of State for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs 2010–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 2012–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats 2019–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2020–present | Incumbent |
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