Bryn Davies
Encyclopedia
Brinley Howard Davies, usually known as Bryn Davies (born 1944) is a British
trade unionist
, actuary
and politician
who was Leader of the Inner London Education Authority
in the early 1980s.
Davies graduated from the University of Hull
and qualified as an actuary. He worked in the pensions industry, becoming a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries
in 1974. He worked for the Trade Union Congress as Pensions Officer from that year, advising member unions on occupational and state pensions. With this came membership of the Occupation Pensions Board. He was also elected to Lambeth London Borough Council
from 1978 where he became Deputy Leader.
At the beginning of 1980 the opportunity arose for him to go into London
-wide politics in a byelection for the Greater London Council
at Vauxhall
, which he won easily as a Labour
candidate. With membership of the GLC came ex officio membership of the Inner London Education Authority
. Davies aligned himself with the left under Ken Livingstone
.
The 1981 elections brought a new left majority to London. On May 9, 1981 Davies was chosen to be the new Leader of ILEA at the Annual General Meeting of the ILEA Labour Group, ousting Sir Ashley Bramall
by 21 votes to 15. Bramall, who had been Leader for the previous eleven years, would have preferred to stay. Frances Morrell
became Deputy Leader, replacing Mair Garside. The Labour right thought this takeover had been brutal and several of them decided to make life difficult for the new administration.
Among the first decisions taken under Davies' control was to allow GLC Teachers paid leave to attend the "People's March for Jobs", a protest against unemployment, but a rebellion by right-wing Labour councillors defeated the plan. ILEA continued the comprehensivisation policy and intensified it by ending 'streaming' within schools and insisting that Church schools end all selection as well. Davies' early priorities included a reduction in the price of school meals, which he eventually pressed through in spite of defeats caused by Labour rebellions and efforts to have it declared illegal.
ILEA's budget increased by 14% in the first year (and its precept by 46%) while the Conservatives nationally criticised the cost of schooling under ILEA which was the highest in the country. Margaret Thatcher
had taken against ILEA when Education Secretary
in the Heath government. However Davies never had to deal with the abolition of ILEA, as his deputy Frances Morrell used her connections within the GLC Women's Group to depose him in April 1983. He remained as a backbencher long enough to prove his left-wing credentials by supporting the strategy, subsequently held to be illegal, of refusing to set a GLC rate as a protest at ratecapping.
Davies went back into pensions in 1985 as a Director of Pensions and Investment Research Consultants. Later that year he was appointed as a Research Actuary at Bacon and Woodrow, and resigned from the GLC and ILEA. In 1989 he set up Union Pension Services Ltd., a consultancy on occupation pensions specialising in those for Trade Unions.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
trade unionist
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, actuary
Actuary
An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was Leader of the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
in the early 1980s.
Davies graduated from the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
and qualified as an actuary. He worked in the pensions industry, becoming a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries
Institute of Actuaries
The Institute of Actuaries was one of the two professional which represented actuaries in the United Kingdom . The Institute was based in England, while the other body, the Faculty of Actuaries, was based in Scotland...
in 1974. He worked for the Trade Union Congress as Pensions Officer from that year, advising member unions on occupational and state pensions. With this came membership of the Occupation Pensions Board. He was also elected to Lambeth London Borough Council
Lambeth London Borough Council
Lambeth London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Lambeth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London...
from 1978 where he became Deputy Leader.
At the beginning of 1980 the opportunity arose for him to go into London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-wide politics in a byelection for the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
at Vauxhall
Vauxhall
-Demography:Many Vauxhall residents live in social housing. There are several gentrified areas, and areas of terraced townhouses on streets such as Fentiman Road and Heyford Avenue have higher property values in the private market, however by far the most common type of housing stock within...
, which he won easily as a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate. With membership of the GLC came ex officio membership of the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
. Davies aligned himself with the left under Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
.
The 1981 elections brought a new left majority to London. On May 9, 1981 Davies was chosen to be the new Leader of ILEA at the Annual General Meeting of the ILEA Labour Group, ousting Sir Ashley Bramall
Ashley Bramall
Sir Ashley Bramall was a British Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for Bexley from 1946 to 1950 and Leader of the Inner London Education Authority for 11 years.-Family and early career:...
by 21 votes to 15. Bramall, who had been Leader for the previous eleven years, would have preferred to stay. Frances Morrell
Frances Morrell
Frances Morrell was a British Labour politician who led the Inner London Education Authority 1983-87....
became Deputy Leader, replacing Mair Garside. The Labour right thought this takeover had been brutal and several of them decided to make life difficult for the new administration.
Among the first decisions taken under Davies' control was to allow GLC Teachers paid leave to attend the "People's March for Jobs", a protest against unemployment, but a rebellion by right-wing Labour councillors defeated the plan. ILEA continued the comprehensivisation policy and intensified it by ending 'streaming' within schools and insisting that Church schools end all selection as well. Davies' early priorities included a reduction in the price of school meals, which he eventually pressed through in spite of defeats caused by Labour rebellions and efforts to have it declared illegal.
ILEA's budget increased by 14% in the first year (and its precept by 46%) while the Conservatives nationally criticised the cost of schooling under ILEA which was the highest in the country. Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
had taken against ILEA when Education Secretary
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
The Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
in the Heath government. However Davies never had to deal with the abolition of ILEA, as his deputy Frances Morrell used her connections within the GLC Women's Group to depose him in April 1983. He remained as a backbencher long enough to prove his left-wing credentials by supporting the strategy, subsequently held to be illegal, of refusing to set a GLC rate as a protest at ratecapping.
Davies went back into pensions in 1985 as a Director of Pensions and Investment Research Consultants. Later that year he was appointed as a Research Actuary at Bacon and Woodrow, and resigned from the GLC and ILEA. In 1989 he set up Union Pension Services Ltd., a consultancy on occupation pensions specialising in those for Trade Unions.