Peter Davies (politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Davies is a politician
in the English Democrats. He became Doncaster
's second directly elected mayor
in June 2009.
on the outskirts of Doncaster in 1948, Davies went to school in Thorne, then worked at Danum School
as a teacher. He is married. He is also the Chairman of Sykehouse
Cricket Club and a member of the Campaign for Real Education
and the Campaign Against Political Correctness
. Davies is the father of Philip Davies
, the Conservative
MP for Shipley
.
until 1973 when he joined the Conservatives
. He remained in the Conservative Party until Prime Minister
John Major
signed the Maastricht Treaty
in 1993.
United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP). He contested Yorkshire South
at the European Parliament election in 1994, taking 2.6% of the votes cast. Three years later, he contested Doncaster Central
at the 1997 general election
, getting 462 votes. The following year, in 1998, a by-election arose in the Yorkshire South European constituency and Davies stood again, against the wishes of the then UKIP party leader Michael Holmes
but with the support of Nigel Farage
and John Whittaker, who put up his deposit
. Davies came last in the poll, but saved his deposit, increasing his share of the vote to 11.6%.
branch of the English Democrats. He stood in Doncaster's Finningley ward in the 2008 local elections, achieving second place with 1,033 votes, over 20% of the vote and stood in both the European elections
and the Doncaster mayoral election
in June 2009. He was placed fourth on English Democrats' party list for Yorkshire and the Humber
, a list that achieved 2.6% of the vote. In the mayoral race, Davies took second place in the first round of voting, but won by around 400 votes once second preferences had been taken into account.
, withdrawal of council translation services, a reduction in the number of Doncaster councillors, and for local schools to opt out of local authority control. Once elected, Davies was interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield
and Look North
where the interviewers questioned the legality and achievability of his manifesto promises.
One of Davies' first decisions was to announce a cut in his annual salary from £73,000 to £30,000. He is an opponent of political correctness
who pledged to stop funding the town's gay pride event, although organisers maintained that the event brought business to Doncaster. Later, he confirmed the event for 2009 would be funded as arranged before his election. He has also pledged to end and reverse town twinning
as a waste of money, joking that he would use his two words of German
to tell a visiting delegation Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye). He also insists he is "not conned by global warming
" and has described climate change
as "a scam"
On 2 June 2010, the government appointed a new chief executive and three commissioners to lead the council. Communities Secretary
Eric Pickles
said the measures were needed to turn the council around "after 15 years of poor governance and dysfunctional politics".
In October 2010, Davies was disciplined by the council for breaching the code of conduct by failing to declare his membership of the Campaign Against Political Correctness
.
Mr Davies made it clear it was the moral code he was an admirer of while detesting the Taliban themselves, adding, "The point I was making was that even a regime as hideous as the Taliban at least appear to have sort of decent sort of family affairs. In fact probably...they have an ordered society." He continued: "We in this country have created mayhem through lax social policies of disregard for marriage and the family and we have created mayhem in society."
and walking out of a public meeting convened to discuss the proposed closure of a local library - a branch that Mr Davis admitted to having never seen.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the English Democrats. He became Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
's second directly elected mayor
Elected mayors in the United Kingdom
Directly elected mayors are council leaders elected by the general electorate of a council area for local government, instead of being appointed by members of a local authority, which is common in the United Kingdom. The Elected Mayor is elected from a number of candidates who put themselves up for...
in June 2009.
Personal life
Born in WoodlandsWoodlands, South Yorkshire
Woodlands is a model village, 3 miles north of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It was designed and built in the early 20th century by Percy Bond Houfton as tied cottages for the miners of the neighbouring Brodsworth Colliery...
on the outskirts of Doncaster in 1948, Davies went to school in Thorne, then worked at Danum School
Danum School Technology College
Danum Academy is a comprehensive academy for the east of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Danum is the Roman name for Doncaster. Prior to September 2011 the school was named Danum School Technology College.-Admissions:...
as a teacher. He is married. He is also the Chairman of Sykehouse
Sykehouse
The civil parish of Sykehouse is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with the East Riding of Yorkshire. It had a population of 438 in 2001.-Geography:...
Cricket Club and a member of the Campaign for Real Education
Campaign for Real Education
The Campaign for Real Education, established 1987, is a pressure group in the United Kingdom. The groups campaigns to "press for higher standards and more parental choice in state education," and supports grammar schools...
and the Campaign Against Political Correctness
Campaign Against Political Correctness
The Campaign Against Political Correctness is a non-partisan organisation in the United Kingdom created to oppose what its founders describe as political correctness. The name is sometimes shortened to the acronym 'CAPC'.-Aims:...
. Davies is the father of Philip Davies
Philip Davies
Philip Andrew Davies is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Shipley in West Yorkshire.-Early life:...
, the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for Shipley
Shipley (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1910s:...
.
Political career
Davies was a member of the Labour PartyLabour 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...
until 1973 when he joined the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. He remained in the Conservative Party until Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
signed the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
in 1993.
United Kingdom Independence Party
Davies then joined the strongly euroscepticEuroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP). He contested Yorkshire South
Yorkshire South (European Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire South was a European Parliament constituency covering most of South Yorkshire in England.Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
at the European Parliament election in 1994, taking 2.6% of the votes cast. Three years later, he contested Doncaster Central
Doncaster Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Doncaster Central is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1983, it covers a similar area to the former Doncaster constituency...
at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, getting 462 votes. The following year, in 1998, a by-election arose in the Yorkshire South European constituency and Davies stood again, against the wishes of the then UKIP party leader Michael Holmes
Michael Holmes (politician)
Michael Holmes is a former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party and MEP for South West England.Holmes was elected leader of UKIP in 1997. In 1999 he and two other UKIP candidates were elected to the European Parliament. The following year, he stepped down from the leadership as a result...
but with the support of Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage
Nigel Paul Farage MEP , a position he previously held from September 2006 to November 2009. He is a current Member of the European Parliament for South East England and co-chairs the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy group....
and John Whittaker, who put up his deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
. Davies came last in the poll, but saved his deposit, increasing his share of the vote to 11.6%.
English Democrats
Davies left UKIP and joined the English Democrats where he became the Chairman of the South YorkshireSouth Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
branch of the English Democrats. He stood in Doncaster's Finningley ward in the 2008 local elections, achieving second place with 1,033 votes, over 20% of the vote and stood in both the European elections
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
and the Doncaster mayoral election
Doncaster Council mayoral election, 2009
Elections for Doncaster's directly elected mayor were held on 4 June 2009, the same day as the Elections to the European Parliament. Peter Davies of the English Democrats won. Placing second in terms of first preference votes, Davies beat Michael Maye, an independent with backing from the Liberal...
in June 2009. He was placed fourth on English Democrats' party list for Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
, a list that achieved 2.6% of the vote. In the mayoral race, Davies took second place in the first round of voting, but won by around 400 votes once second preferences had been taken into account.
Mayor of Doncaster
Davies' mayoral campaign had called for harsher punishments for "young thugs", withdrawal from the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, withdrawal of council translation services, a reduction in the number of Doncaster councillors, and for local schools to opt out of local authority control. Once elected, Davies was interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield
BBC Radio Sheffield
BBC Radio Sheffield is the BBC Local Radio service for English metropolitan county of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. This includes the city of Sheffield, plus Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Chesterfield and surrounding areas. It was the BBC local radio station, beginning on 15 November 1967...
and Look North
BBC Look North (Yorkshire and North Midlands)
BBC Look North is the BBC's regional television news service for West & South Yorkshire, parts of North Yorkshire and the North Midlands. The programmes as produced and broadcast from the BBC Broadcasting Centre at St...
where the interviewers questioned the legality and achievability of his manifesto promises.
One of Davies' first decisions was to announce a cut in his annual salary from £73,000 to £30,000. He is an opponent of political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
who pledged to stop funding the town's gay pride event, although organisers maintained that the event brought business to Doncaster. Later, he confirmed the event for 2009 would be funded as arranged before his election. He has also pledged to end and reverse town twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
as a waste of money, joking that he would use his two words of German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
to tell a visiting delegation Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye). He also insists he is "not conned by global warming
Global warming conspiracy theory
Global warming conspiracy theory refers to an allegation that the data with which the theory of anthropogenic global warming is derived has been tampered with, adulterated, achieved through anecdotal means and/or is being misrepresented so as to inaccurately accuse mankind of causing global climate...
" and has described climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
as "a scam"
Vote of no confidence
On 22 February 2010, Davies' proposals for a three per cent council tax cut were opposed and a vote of no confidence against him was carried. Davies and his Cabinet were severely criticised for lack of political leadership during a meeting of the full council in Doncaster, and his budget for 2010-11 was slammed as "irresponsible". An alternative budget at the meeting, which found much more support within the council, had suggested an increase in Council Tax of almost three per cent. Despite the vote of no confidence and repeated criticism of his "outrageous" policies, Davies has refused to resign.On 2 June 2010, the government appointed a new chief executive and three commissioners to lead the council. Communities Secretary
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....
Eric Pickles
Eric Pickles
Eric Jack Pickles is a British Conservative Party politician. Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2010....
said the measures were needed to turn the council around "after 15 years of poor governance and dysfunctional politics".
In October 2010, Davies was disciplined by the council for breaching the code of conduct by failing to declare his membership of the Campaign Against Political Correctness
Campaign Against Political Correctness
The Campaign Against Political Correctness is a non-partisan organisation in the United Kingdom created to oppose what its founders describe as political correctness. The name is sometimes shortened to the acronym 'CAPC'.-Aims:...
.
Media attention
Davies has attracted widespread media attention since his election, with a series of contentious announcements, public snubs of local children and a speeding violation that managed to culminate in a bravura display of his capacity for both."Praise" for the Taliban
Speaking in September 2009, Davies' conservative approach to family values was unequivocal as he spoke of his admiration for the “ordered way of life under the Taliban.”Mr Davies made it clear it was the moral code he was an admirer of while detesting the Taliban themselves, adding, "The point I was making was that even a regime as hideous as the Taliban at least appear to have sort of decent sort of family affairs. In fact probably...they have an ordered society." He continued: "We in this country have created mayhem through lax social policies of disregard for marriage and the family and we have created mayhem in society."
Child protection services in Doncaster
Under Davies' stewardship, Doncaster Council Child protection services were described in a report by the departments own director as “unacceptably poor” and “in many areas getting worse.” After an incident in which two young boys living in Council care were given indeterminate sentences for the torture of two other children, an Audit Commission report stated that: “Those leading the council - the mayor and cabinet, some councillors and some officers - do not collectively have the capacity or capability to make the necessary improvements in governance.” Mr Davies responded that he thought it “ a very black report without any shade of colour at all”.Library closures
Davis has been criticised by Doncaster residents after admitting that he had never borrowed a book from a public libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and walking out of a public meeting convened to discuss the proposed closure of a local library - a branch that Mr Davis admitted to having never seen.
Elections contested
| Election | Constituency | Party | Votes | Percentage of votes | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 European election | Yorkshire South Yorkshire South (European Parliament constituency) Yorkshire South was a European Parliament constituency covering most of South Yorkshire in England.Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales... |
UKIP | 3,948 | 2.6 | |
| 1996 Parliamentary by-election Hemsworth by-election, 1996 The Hemsworth by-election, 1996 was a parliamentary by-election held in England on 1 February 1996 for the House of Commons constituency of Hemsworth in West Yorkshire.... |
Hemsworth Hemsworth (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1940s :- Elections in the 1930s :- Elections in the 1920s :... |
UKIP | 455 | 2.1 | |
| 1997 general election United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Doncaster Central Doncaster Central (UK Parliament constituency) Doncaster Central is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1983, it covers a similar area to the former Doncaster constituency... |
UKIP | 462 | 1.1 | |
| 1998 European by-election | Yorkshire South | UKIP | 13,830 | 11.6 | |
| 2006 Doncaster Council local election | Finningley Finningley Finningley is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of Nottinghamshire, Finningley lies along the A614 road, about six miles from the centre of Doncaster, at , and at an elevation of around seven metres above sea... Ward |
ED English Democrats Party The English Democrats are an English federalist political party, committed to the formation of a devolved English Parliament with at least the same powers as those granted to the Scottish Parliament. Whilst not supporting English Independence, the English Democrats consider themselves the English... |
973 | 21.2 | |
| 2007 Doncaster Council local election | Finningley Finningley Finningley is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of Nottinghamshire, Finningley lies along the A614 road, about six miles from the centre of Doncaster, at , and at an elevation of around seven metres above sea... Ward |
ED | 1,111 | 23.8 | |
| 2008 Doncaster Council local election | Finningley Finningley Finningley is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of Nottinghamshire, Finningley lies along the A614 road, about six miles from the centre of Doncaster, at , and at an elevation of around seven metres above sea... Ward |
ED | 1,003 | 21.6 | |
| 2009 European election European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
Yorkshire and the Humber Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency) Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :... |
ED | 31,287 | 2.6 | |
| 2009 Mayor of Doncaster election Doncaster Council mayoral election, 2009 Elections for Doncaster's directly elected mayor were held on 4 June 2009, the same day as the Elections to the European Parliament. Peter Davies of the English Democrats won. Placing second in terms of first preference votes, Davies beat Michael Maye, an independent with backing from the Liberal... |
Doncaster Doncaster Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"... |
ED | 25,344 (both first and second preference votes) | 22.6 (of first preference votes) 51.7 (of second preference votes) |