Andrew R. T. Davies

Andrew R. T. Davies AM
Leader of the Welsh Conservative Party
In office 14 July 2011 – 27 June 2018
Deputy	Paul Davies
Leader	David Cameron Theresa May
Preceded by	Nick Bourne
Succeeded by	Paul Davies
Shadow Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills
In office 16 June 2008 – 1 July 2009
Leader	Nick Bourne
Preceded by	Alun Cairns
Succeeded by	Paul Davies
Shadow Minister for Transport
In office 11 July 2007 – 16 June 2008
Leader	Nick Bourne
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	David Melding
Member of the Welsh Assembly for South Wales Central
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 May 2007
Preceded by	Jonathan Morgan
Personal details
Born	1968 (age 49–50) Vale of Glamorgan, Wales
Political party	Conservative

Andrew Robert Tudor Davies (born 1968) is a Welsh Conservative Party politician serving as Member of the National Assembly for Wales since May 2007. He was elected Leader of the Welsh Conservative Party in the National Assembly for Wales on 14 July 2011, resigning the position on 27 June 2018.

Background

Davies was educated at Llanfair Primary School, St John's Preparatory School, Porthcawl, and later boarded at Wycliffe College, Stroud. He is married to a qualified midwife and they have four children.^[1] He is a partner in the family farming business based in St Hilary near Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. Davies was a Welsh delegate on the Council of the National Farmers Union (NFU); Vice president of the local Young Farmers Club; and is a former Chairman of Creative Communities, which seeks to develop structural community development. Davies is also a life governor of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, and was the Society’s Oxford Scholar in 2002. He is a former governor at Llanfair Primary School.

Political career

Joining the Conservative Party in 1997, Davies fought Cardiff West in the 2001 general election, and Brecon and Radnorshire in 2005. He has served as Deputy Chairman (Political) for the Conservative Party in South Wales Central 2002–03, a region that comprises Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan; and Cardiff West Conservative Association 2004–05. In 2007, he was elected to the National Assembly of Wales. Davies' political interests include education, health and rural affairs.

In the Third Assembly he was appointed Shadow Minister for Transport in the National Assembly for Wales from 7 July 2007 to 16 June 2008, and Shadow Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills from 16 June 2008. He also sat on the Assembly’s Petitions Committee and the Subordinate Legislation Committee. In 2009 he became the Shadow Minister for Health in the National Assembly for Wales. He has also won an award for being "assembly member to watch" in December 2008. He was elected as leader of the Welsh Conservative group on the 14 July 2011, having won 53.1 per cent of the vote.^[2] He resigned from his leadership role on 27 June 2018.^[3]

Stance on Brexit and its impact on Wales

During the Brexit referendum campaign Davies suggested Wales would be better off financially outside the EU: “Wales could be as much as half a billion pounds a year better off if the UK votes to leave the European Union."^[4] However, shortly after the referendum, where a majority of 52.4 percent in Wales voted for leaving the EU, conservative Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns stated that Wales could not expect a Brexit administration to match the level of funding it received from Brussels at present. (i. e. £1.9 billion for the period 2014 to 2020).^[5]

In the run-up to the UK's invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, Davies claimed that the Welsh Government should be denied the right to be part of Brexit negotiations on devolved areas.^[6]

Despite his firm anti-EU stance, Davies' family firm TJ Davies and Sons had accepted a total of £96,808.89 in EU subsidies over the period October 16, 2013 to October 15, 2014 alone, including £70,930.63 allocated under the Single area payment scheme, £24,099.86 agro-environmental payments and £1,728.40 from the first afforestation of agricultural land scheme.^[7] Commenting on the revelation of these figures, Britain Stronger in Europe spokesman James McGrory said: "Taking money from Europe while saying we should leave is hypocrisy of the first order." A spokesman for Davies responded to the allegation of hypocrisy that, "There is no such thing as EU money. That money belongs to UK taxpayers and we pay £10 billion a year more than we receive to be part of this racket."^[8]

References

External links

• Official website
• Andrew RT Davies AM on the National Assembly for Wales website.
• Conservative Party candidates profile, 2005 general election.