Background
Davies was born in Lytham Street Annes, Lancashire. His father was a doctor, and his mother a nurse
Davies was born in Lytham Street Annes, Lancashire. His father was a doctor, and his mother a nurse
He was educated at the independent Cheadle Hulme School (1965-1972), at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (1972-1975, reading history) and from 1975 to 1977 at the University of Kent, Canterbury.
From 1994 to 1998 he was a councillor for Lees ward on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. He contested Liverpool Scotland Exchange in 1979, and then Littleborough and Saddleworth in 1987 and 1992. He became the Member of Parliament for that seat after a by-election in 1995, but the seat was abolished by the time of the 1997 General Election.
Davies contested Oldham East and Saddleworth at this election but lost to Philosophy Woolas of Labour.
He lost his seat in the 2014 European Elections. Davies served as the Liberal Democrat spokesman on the environment and public health in the European Parliament.
In 2008, Davies made some widely publicised comments on an unpublished report which, he claimed, contained evidence of "embezzlement and fraud" among European Union parliament members. At the autumn 2009 Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth, Davies made a speech in a debate about the Member of Parliament expenses scandal, where he appeared to become very angry, exclaiming "I hate, I hate the dirty cheating bastards who have taken every opportunity to fill their private pockets with public money.
. they should play no part in public life".
In December 2009 Davies appeared on The Politics Show North West alongside Nick Griffin on a debate regarding climate change and the then forthcoming 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which both men were attending as part of the European Union Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Davies is a resident of Greenfield, in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester.
Due to controversy over the tone of a series of emails he exchanged with a pro-Israeli constituent, Davies was forced to resign as leader of the Liberal Democrats group in the European Parliament.
51st United Kingdom Parliament]
He is a former Member of Parliament, and from 1999 until 2014 he was a Member of the European Parliament. Davies was a member of Liverpool City Council from 1980 to 1984, representing Abercromby ward and serving as Chairman of the Housing Committee. He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the North West England constituency in 1999.