Phil Davies (politician)
# Phil Davies (politician)

Phillip Leslie Davies (born 8 April 1959), is a British Labour politician and former Leader of Wirral Council.

## Education

BA (Hons) Politics, University of Warwick, 1978–81; PhD in Public Policy, University of Strathclyde, 1981-85. Davies studied at Wirral Met College between 1975 and 1978

## Political career

### Councillor

Davies was first elected to Wirral Council in 1991 for the then Labour safe seat of Birkenhead. In 2004, he was successfully re-elected to the Birkenhead and Tranmere ward after boundary changes.

### Labour group leader

In March 2012, Davies was deputy leader of the Labour group when then leader Steve Foulkes, who lost a vote of confidence as leader of the council in February, stood down citing the "constant stress" of the role. Davies was subsequently elected in his place and was leader of the opposition until Labour took control of the council that May.

On 16 October 2018 he said he was to stand down as both Leader of the Council and councillor for Birkenhead and Tranmere at the next local elections in May 2019. His seat was gained by Steve Hayes of the Green Party on a majority of 1,140 over the Labour candidate.

On 24 June he was made an Honorary Alderman of Wirral Council.

### Wirral West parliamentary candidate

Davies was selected as the Labour candidate for the Wirral West Constituency at the 2010 General Election after the incumbent MP, Stephen Hesford, stood down for family reasons. Davies lost to future Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, by a margin of 2,436.

### Merseyside Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner nomination

Davies is currently the only candidate to be selected as deputy to Jane Kennedy, Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside. Kennedy, whose previous deputy Emily Spurrell stood down after Kennedy left the Labour Party, was due to stand down at the May 2020 election but had her term extended due to the delay of said election warranting a new deputy. However, after being offered the position, Phil Davies decided to decline the appointment on the grounds that it would require too high a level of commitment, and that he preferred to continue enjoying his retirement.

## Electoral history

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 7 May 2015: Birkenhead and Tranmere :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 3,130 | 56.0 | 15.2 |
| | Green | Jayne Clough | 1,763 | 31.6 | 16.1 |
| | UKIP | Laurence Sharpe-Stevens | 447 | 8.0 | 1.6 |
| | Conservative | June Cowin | 183 | 3.3 | 1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Price | 61 | 1.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,367 | 24.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,854 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 56.9 | 21.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 15.6 | |

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 5 May 2011: Birkenhead and Tranmere :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 1,750 | 53.9 | 2.1 |
| | Green | Pat Cleary | 1,133 | 34.9 | 11.3 |
| | Conservative | June Cowin | 148 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| | UKIP | David Martin | 120 | 3.7 | 0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Allan Brame | 95 | 3.0 | 9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 617 | 19.0 | 9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,807 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.2 | 14.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.6 | |

General Election, 6 May 2010: Wirral West :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Esther McVey | 16,726 | 42.5 | 0.7 |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 14,290 | 36.3 | 4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Reisdorf | 6,630 | 16.8 | 0.5 |
| | UKIP | Philip Griffiths | 899 | 2.3 | 1.1 |
| | Ind. Conservative | David Kirwan | 506 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| | Common Sense Party | David James | 321 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,436 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,372 | 71.5 | 3.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 2.4 | |

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 3 May 2007: Birkenhead and Tranmere :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 1,399 | 62.4 | 9.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Brighouse | 333 | 14.9 | 0.5 |
| | Conservative | June Cowin | 255 | 11.4 | 2.2 |
| | Green | Catherine Page | 254 | 11.3 | 3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,066 | 47.5 | 9.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,374 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 21.7 | 0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.7 | |

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 10 June 2004: Birkenhead and Tranmere :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jean Stapleton | 1,400 | 47.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 1,292 | – | – |
| | Labour | David Christian | 1,275 | – | – |
| | WIN | Andrew Dow | 408 | 13.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phillip Lloyd | 401 | 13.7 | N/A |
| | WIN | Deirdre Baker | 382 | – | – |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Brighouse | 376 | – | – |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Teggin | 349 | – | – |
| | WIN | John Maher | 311 | – | – |
| | Green | Catherine Page | 249 | 8.5 | N/A |
| | BNP | John Edwards | 246 | 8.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Tom Parker | 233 | 7.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Jackson | 217 | – | – |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Johnson | 186 | – | – |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 992 | 33.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,364 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.0 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 1 May 2003: Birkenhead :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 1,157 | 70.3 | 10.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Lloyd | 188 | 11.4 | 1.3 |
| | Conservative | David Noble | 118 | 7.2 | 0.4 |
| | WIN | John Maher | 98 | 6.0 | New |
| | Socialist Alliance Against The War | Morag Reid | 45 | 2.7 | New |
| | Green | Christopher Childe | 40 | 2.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 969 | 58.9 | 8.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,867 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 16.7 | 1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.4 | |

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 6 May 1999: Birkenhead :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 1,298 | 74.1 | 5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Williams | 166 | 9.5 | 11.4 |
| | Conservative | Susan Bebell | 132 | 7.5 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | Alec McFadden | 94 | 5.4 | New |
| | Green | Stuart Harvey | 62 | 3.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,132 | 64.6 | 6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,887 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 17.7 | 0.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.2 | |

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 4 May 1995: Birkenhead :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 2,850 | 88.3 | 3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | P. Cooke | 196 | 6.1 | 2.1 |
| | Conservative | B. Brassey | 183 | 5.7 | 1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,654 | 82.2 | 6.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,508 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.7 | 4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.0 | |

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, 2 May 1991: Birkenhead :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Phillip Davies | 2,610 | 71.0 | 10.8 |
| | Conservative | J. Oliver | 490 | 13.3 | 5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Niblock | 404 | 11.0 | 4.5 |
| | Green | Pamela Mitchell | 174 | 4.7 | 1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,120 | 57.7 | 16.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,912 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.7 | 9.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 8.1 | |
