Miriam Jane Alice Davies[1] (born 2 June 1975), known as Mims Davies, is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Grinstead and Uckfield since 2024. She previously served as MP for Eastleigh from 2015 to 2019 and MP for Mid Sussex from 2019 to 2024. Davies has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales since November 2024, and Shadow Minister for Women since July 2024.[2] She previously served in various ministerial positions between 2018 and 2024.
Mims Davies | |
|---|---|
 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 |
| Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work[b] | |
| In office 14 December 2023 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Tom Pursglove |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Timms |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding | |
| In office 27 October 2022 – 14 December 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| In office 20 September 2022 – 27 October 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Liz Truss |
| Preceded by | Amanda Solloway |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Dines |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment | |
| In office 25 July 2019 – 6 July 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Alok Sharma |
| Succeeded by | Julie Marson |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Civil Society and Loneliness | |
| In office 5 November 2018 – 25 July 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Tracey Crouch |
| Succeeded by | Nigel Adams[c] |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales | |
| In office 26 July 2018 – 5 November 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Stuart Andrew |
| Succeeded by | Nigel Adams |
| Member of Parliament for East Grinstead and Uckfield | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 8,480 (16.8%) |
| Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex | |
| In office 12 December 2019 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Nicholas Soames |
| Succeeded by | Alison Bennett |
| Member of Parliament for Eastleigh | |
| In office 7 May 2015 – 6 November 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Thornton |
| Succeeded by | Paul Holmes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Miriam Jane Alice Davies 2 June 1975 |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Swansea University |
| Website | Official website |
Davies was first elected to Parliament as MP for Eastleigh in May 2015.[3] She was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Civil Society and Loneliness in Theresa May's government from 2018 to 2019. After Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019, Davies was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions. She was elected in the 2019 general election as the MP for Mid 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 established East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
Early life and career
editMiriam Davies was born on 2 June 1975. She was educated at the fee-paying Royal Russell School in Croydon, and the state-sector Collyers Sixth Form College in Horsham, West Sussex. She then studied Politics and International Relations at Swansea University,[6] being the first in her family to enter higher education.[7]
After graduation, she worked primarily as a local radio presenter, reporter and producer.[6] She later worked as a road safety communications officer with the Automobile Association, the police force, and Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.[7]
Davies served as a Conservative Party town councillor for Haywards Heath Town Council and as a District councillor on Mid 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.
Parliamentary career
editAt the 2015 general election, Davies was elected to Parliament as MP for Eastleigh with 42.3% of the vote and a majority of 9,147.[8]
She campaigned for the UK to leave the European Union during the 2016 referendum.[9]
Davies was re-elected as MP for Eastleigh at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 50.4% and an increased majority of 14,179.[10]
Davies was appointed an Assistant Government Whip on 9 January 2018, and subsequently to the role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales on 26 July 2018.[11]
In the House of Commons she sat on the Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion and previously sat on the Consolidation Bills (Joint Committee) and Women and Equalities Committee.[12] On 23 October 2018, Davies resigned from a committee chaired by Commons Speaker John Bercow, citing lack of confidence in Bercow's ability to tackle bullying and sexual harassment problems in Parliament.[13][14][15][16]
On 5 November 2018, Davies was appointed Minister for Sport and Civil Society at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, after the resignation of Tracey Crouch over a delay to the introduction of reduced limits on the stakes of fixed-odds betting terminals.
In February 2019, in her role as Sports Minister, she called for an urgent summit with football leaders in order to address issues relating to abuse in the sport.[17] She suggested there should be a zero tolerance approach to problems concerning racist, homophobic and antisemitic chanting.[18]
In May 2019, she attended the "End the cage age" event campaigning against caged birds. This event was organised by Compassion in World Farming. Davies stated that she was against caged laying hens.[19]
In July 2019, new Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Davies to the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment at the Department 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 for Mid Sussex.[20][21] On 9 November, she was selected to stand for the seat. At the 2019 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, having lost confidence in Boris Johnson as a result of the Chris Pincher scandal.[5]
Due to the 2023 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 with East Grinstead and Uckfield. At the 2024 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.[22]
On 8 July 2024, Davies was appointed as Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities for Rishi Sunak's shadow cabinet.[23]
In October 2024, she was elected as a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.[24]
On 5 November 2024, Davies was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales in Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet.[25]
Personal life
editShe was a carer to her two elderly parents before becoming an MP, which she has said "informed a significant portion of her parliamentary work".[26] She is a keen runner and has completed several long-distance races, including the 2017 London Marathon.[27]
Notes
edit- ^ As Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities from 8 July 2024 to 5 November 2024
- ^ As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State from 14 December 2023 to 12 April 2024
- ^ Adams succeeded Davies as Minister of State for Sport, Media and Creative Industries and The Baroness Barran succeeded Davies as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Civil Society and Loneliness.
References
edit- ^ "No. 61230". The London Gazette. 18 May 2015. p. 9122.
- ^ "UK politics live: Lord Cameron resigns as Rishi Sunak announces interim shadow cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ "Eastleigh parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC election results 2019 GE. BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Sussex Mid Parliamentary constituency". BBC election results 2019 GE. BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ a b Brown, Faye (6 July 2022). "Boris Johnson's government crumbles after six more ministers quit in one go". Metro. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ a b Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert (22 May 2015). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015: Profiles of the New MPs and Analysis of the 2015 General Election Results. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781849549240.
- ^ a b "About Mims Davies". Mims Davies MP for Eastleigh Constituency. J Jamieson. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^ "Eastleigh parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "Mims Davies is new Wales Office minister". BBC News. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "Mims Davies". Parliament UK. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Theresa May briefs cabinet on Brexit negotiations". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ Kentish, Benjamin (23 October 2018). "Pressure on John Bercow after three Tory MPs resign from Commons committee he chairs". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ Yorke, Harry (23 October 2018). "John Bercow thrust back into spotlight over Westminster bullying as three Government members quit his committee". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "MPs quit Commons group because Speaker Bercow chairs it". BBC News. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "Sports minister Mims Davies to hold meeting with football leaders to tackle abuse". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ "Sports minister Mims Davies calls for summit to tackle increase in abuse". The Guardian. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ "Mims Davies on Twitter". Twitter. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
- ^ "Standing Down Statement". Mims Davies MP. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019.
- ^ "Mims Davies Statement". 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019.
- ^ East Grinstead and Uckfield
- ^ "Surviving Sussex Tory MPs appointed to Rishi Sunak's new Shadow Cabinet". Yahoo News. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ "Culture, Media and Sport Committee Membership". 30 October 2024.
- ^ Sparrow, Andrew (5 November 2024). "Kemi Badenoch reveals full shadow cabinet including Chris Philp as shadow home secretary – UK politics live". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Carers". 9 June 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
- ^ "Latest News: MPs look back at Marathon effort". 6 June 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
External links
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