Geraint Davies (Plaid Cymru politician)

Geraint Rhys Davies (born 1 December 1948) is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician. He was the National Assembly for Wales Member for Rhondda from 1999 to 2003.

Geraint Davies
Geraint Davies in 1999
Member of the Welsh Assembly
for Rhondda
In office
6 May 1999 – 1 May 2003
Preceded byNew Assembly
Succeeded byLeighton Andrews
Personal details
Born (1948-12-01) 1 December 1948 (age 75)
Treherbert, Wales
Political partyPlaid Cymru
Alma materUniversity of London

Background

edit

Davies attended Pentre Grammar School, Chelsea College, and the University of London.

He was a pharmacist in Treherbert.[1]

Post-Graduate Training, Rookwood Hospital, Cardiff 1971–72. Relief Manager and Manager, Boots the Chemists 1972–75. Self-Employed Community Pharmacist in Treherbert since 1975. President of Blaenrhondda Football Club and a deacon at Blaencwm Baptist church. School Governor.

Political career

edit

Local Government

edit

Davies served a councillor on District of Rhondda Council until its abolition 1996 as well as a County Borough Councillor for the ward of Treherbert in Rhondda Cynon Taff from 1995 to 2004 and again from 2012 to 2022 when he stood down at the age of 73.After serving the Treherbert Ward for 42 years.

National Assembly for Wales

edit

Davies was elected as the Assembly Member for the Rhondda Valley in the first National Assembly for Wales election, in a surprise upset in a traditionally safe Welsh Labour area.[2][3] He defeated Wayne David, former leader of the Labour Party in the European Parliament to take the seat, with a majority of 2,285.[4]

He served Plaid Cymru's spokesperson for the South Wales Valleys,[5] and was a member of the Local Government Partnership Council and Health and Social Services Committee.

In 2002 he was part of a Plaid delegation who went on a 4-day visit to Palestine, and met Yasser Arafat.[6][7] He was critical of the response to ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, and at Plaid's 2002 Conference described Tony Blair as tough on terrorism but not on the "causes of terrorism" and said that Israel showed "total and blatant disregard of UN resolutions".[8]

He lost his seat in 2003, coming second, and 7,954 votes short of Leighton Andrews, who took the seat for Welsh Labour.[9] He did not seek election to the Assembly again.

References

edit
  1. ^ Engel, Matthew (28 April 1999). "Britain goes to the polls: Labour strains loyalties in valleys; The fix which secured the leadership for Alun Michael has badly damaged Tony Blair's reputation in Wales". The Guardian. p. 12.
  2. ^ Percival, Jenny (8 May 1999). "LABOUR WILTS IN THE VALLEYS AS PLAID CYMRU TAKES ROOT". The Scotsman. p. 4.
  3. ^ Elliot, Valerie (8 May 1999). "Plaid gains in Valleys no surprised to Wigley". The Times.
  4. ^ "BBC News | Elections | Wales 99 | Constituencies | Rhondda". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  5. ^ "SPEED OF DAMAGES PAYMENTS ATTACKED BY PLAID". South Wales Echo. 14 November 2001. p. 17.
  6. ^ Hazlewood, Richard (9 May 2002). "PLAID POLITICIANS MEET UP WITH YASSER ARAFAT". South Wales Echo. p. 22.
  7. ^ "VISITING POLITICIANS FEAR ARAFAT IS ILL". Western Mail. 10 May 2002. p. 5.
  8. ^ Bodden, Tom; Lyons, Jamie (23 September 2002). "PLAID INSENSITIVE FOR STAND ON BOMBINGS". Daily Post (North Wales). p. 11.
  9. ^ "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2003 | Rhondda". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
edit

Offices held

edit
Senedd
Preceded by
(new post)
Assembly Member for Rhondda
19992003
Succeeded by