Andrew R. T. Davies

Andrew R. T. Davies AM
Leader of the Conservative Party in the National Assembly for Wales Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 July 2011
Preceded by	Nick Bourne
Shadow Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills
In office 16 June 2008 – 2009
Leader	Nick Bourne
Preceded by	Alun Cairns
Shadow Minister for Transport
In office 11 July 2007 – 16 June 2008
Leader	Nick Bourne
Preceded by	New post
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 47–48) Vale of Glamorgan, Wales
Political party	Conservative

Andrew Robert Tudor Davies (born 1968) is a British politician and farmer, who has been a Conservative Party member of the National Assembly for Wales since May 2007. He was elected leader of the Welsh Conservative group in the National Assembly for Wales on 14 July 2011.

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.

His father died at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend in 2008 in circumstances which he describes as traumatic, and about which he and his family complained.^[2]

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 March 2006, he was chosen to be the second on the Conservative Party's list for the 2007 election. Following a 5.2 per cent swing from Labour to Conservative across the region, the Conservative party secured two seats and Davies was therefore elected. 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 sits on the Assembly’s Petitions Committee, which reviews petitions from members of the public, as well as sitting on 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.^[3]

He launched a survey, Your Welsh NHS of attitudes to NHS Wales in 2014 with Darren Millar. It concluded that the Welsh held the NHS dear to their hearts, though almost two-thirds of respondents felt the performance of the Welsh NHS had declined in recent years. The survey found a wide range of problems caused by a lack of resources. Staff complained that Whistleblowers risked professional suicide and some patients said complaints or concerns were not taken seriously by NHS managers ^[4]

References

1. "Andrew RT Davies AM". National Assembly of Wales. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
2. Davies, Andrew RT (18 October 2014). "Andrew RT Davies AM: The story of Labour NHS failure in Wales that our survey unearthed". Conservative Home. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
3. "Andrew RT Davies elected Tory Welsh assembly leader". BBC.co.uk. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
4. Davies, Andrew RT (18 October 2014). "Andrew RT Davies AM: The story of Labour NHS failure in Wales that our survey unearthed". Conservative Home. Retrieved 20 October 2014.

External links

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

Offices held