Ed Davey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Ed Davey
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
| Assumed office 27 August 2020 |
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| Deputy | Daisy Cooper |
| President |
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| Preceded by | Jo Swinson |
| Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 3 September 2019 – 27 August 2020 |
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| Leader |
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| Preceded by | Jo Swinson |
| Succeeded by | Daisy Cooper |
| Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change | |
| In office 3 February 2012 – 8 May 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Chris Huhne |
| Succeeded by | Amber Rudd |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs | |
| In office 20 May 2010 – 3 February 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Anthony Young |
| Succeeded by | Norman Lamb |
| Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton |
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| Assumed office 8 June 2017 |
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| Preceded by | James Berry |
| Majority | 17,235 (34.1%) |
| In office 1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | James Berry |
| Liberal Democrat portfolios | |
| 2005–2006 | Education and Skills |
| 2006–2007 | Trade and Industry |
| 2007–2010 | Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs |
| 2017–2019 | Home Affairs |
| 2019 | Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy |
| 2019–2020 | Treasury |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Edward Jonathan Davey
25 December 1965 Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse |
Emily Gasson
(m. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has been the leader of the Liberal Democrat party since 2020. He is a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Kingston and Surbiton. He first held this seat from 1997 to 2015 and was elected again in 2017.
Davey was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. He had a difficult childhood, as both of his parents passed away before he was 16. He was then raised by his grandparents. After finishing school, he studied at the University of Oxford and the University of London. He worked as an economics researcher before becoming an MP.
From 2010 to 2015, the Liberal Democrats were in a coalition government with the Conservative Party. During this time, Davey served as the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. He also served as the Deputy Leader of his party in 2019.
Contents
Early Life and School
Edward Davey was born on Christmas Day in 1965 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. His father, a lawyer, died from cancer when Ed was only four years old. His mother died eleven years later, when he was 15. After his mother's death, his grandparents raised him. He cared for his mother when she was ill and later cared for his grandmother.
Davey was a member of the Scouts and sang in his church choir. He attended Nottingham High School, where he was head boy. He studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Jesus College, Oxford, and earned a top-class degree. Later, he got a Master's degree in Economics from Birkbeck, University of London.
Before becoming a politician, he worked as an economics researcher for the Liberal Democrats. He helped create some of the party's key ideas, like raising taxes to pay for education.
Political Career
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In 1997, Davey was elected to the House of Commons as the MP for Kingston and Surbiton. He won by a very small number of votes, just 56. He represented this area for 18 years.
As an MP, he worked on many issues. In 2003, he helped repeal Section 28, a law that stopped the "promotion of homosexuality" in schools. In 2006, he was one of a few Liberal Democrat MPs who did not support a total ban on smoking in pubs, calling it "a bit too nanny state."
From 2005 to 2010, he was a spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats on different topics, including education, trade, and foreign affairs.
Working in Government
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After the 2010 general election, the Liberal Democrats formed a government with the Conservatives. Davey became a minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He worked on issues like employment and postal services.
During this time, he was the minister responsible for the Post Office. He was the only minister to meet with Alan Bates, who was fighting for justice for sub-postmasters who were wrongly accused of stealing money because of a faulty computer system. Years later, Davey said he was "misled" by Post Office officials about the problem.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
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In 2012, Davey was promoted to a top government job as the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. He focused on making the energy market more competitive so that people could get better prices. He also approved the building of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.
In 2013, he was in the news after a TV interview. When asked how people could save on energy bills, he said he wears a jumper at home. Many newspapers reported that he was telling everyone to wear jumpers, but he had actually been talking about making energy companies compete more.
Davey also worked with other countries to reduce their reliance on Russian energy, especially after the conflict in Ukraine began in 2014.
Losing and Regaining His Seat
In the 2015 general election, Davey lost his seat as an MP. This was a big surprise, as it is rare for a senior government minister to lose their seat. In 2016, he was given a knighthood for his political and public service, which is why he is now called "Sir Ed Davey."
He did not give up on politics. In the 2017 general election, he won back his seat for Kingston and Surbiton.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
After returning to Parliament, Davey became a senior figure in his party again. In 2019, he ran to be the leader of the Liberal Democrats but lost to Jo Swinson. He then became her deputy leader.
When Jo Swinson lost her own seat in the 2019 general election, she had to step down as leader. Davey became the acting leader along with the party's presidents.
Winning the Leadership
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In August 2020, Davey won the election to become the permanent leader of the Liberal Democrats. In his victory speech, he said the party needed to "wake up and smell the coffee" and start listening more to ordinary people.
He often talks about his experience as a carer for his son, who has a severe disability. He has said this experience helps him understand the need for better social care in Britain.
2024 General Election
During the 2024 general election campaign, Davey became famous for his fun campaign stunts. He fell off a paddleboard into a lake to highlight the problem of sewage pollution. He also went down a giant water slide and did a bungee jump to get media attention.
He said that politicians should take voters' concerns seriously, but not themselves. The stunts worked, and the Liberal Democrats had their best election result ever. They won 72 seats, making them the third-largest party in the House of Commons for the first time since 1923.
Personal Life
Davey married Emily Gasson in 2005. They have two children, a son named John and a daughter named Ellie. Their son John has a serious neurological condition and needs care 24 hours a day. Davey and his wife share the caring duties. This personal experience is a big reason why he campaigns for better support for carers.
The family lives in Surbiton, part of the area he represents as an MP. Besides English, Davey can speak French, German, and Spanish.
In 1995, he received a bravery award for rescuing a woman who had fallen onto a railway track in front of an oncoming train.
Honours
- In 1995, he won a bravery award from the Royal Humane Society.
- In 2012, he became a member of the Privy Council, which gives him the title "The Right Honourable".
- In 2016, he was made a Knight by the Queen for his political and public service.
See also
In Spanish: Ed Davey para niños
- Liberal Democrat frontbench team
