From: DAVIES, Geraint
Sent: 18 October 2010 11:36
Subject: PLP Committee – Geraint Davies MPDear Colleague,
As we move forward with our new Leadership team it’s important that the priorities and views of backbench members of the PLP are heard and reflected.
The Parliamentary Committee is being reformed and will act as a means of providing the Leadership with regular feedback from across the PLP and wider movement.
I am putting my name forward having represented a marginal London seat fighting the Tories and now a traditional seat in Wales challenged by the Liberal Democrats.
Therefore, I appreciate the range of local concerns amongst varying electorates we need to address to regain power. As a reincarnated MP, I am also keen to reflect the views of new MPs who bring fresh insights from the world outside Westminster whilst harnessing the talents of experienced members.
Your views and the issues in your constituency are a critical barometer to help Labour get back on track as we approach elections next year for our Welsh Assembly, Scottish Parliament and councils across England.
I am a Labour Co-operative and GMB supported MP with a background in industry so appreciate the need for us to carry the support of the wider movement and to bring confidence in our economic and industrial policy.
Our main resource is the skills, experience and energy of our PLP. If elected I would:
1 Listen to your views and concerns and be an approachable committee member accessible to all back-benchers
2. Be representative providing a drop in surgery and drop off/e mail feedback etc
3. Reflect varying opinion across all wings of the Party and the priorities of marginal and traditional seats
4. Be a strong & effective voice for back-bench opinion to the Leadership rooted in the breadth and depth of opinion across the PLP
5. Help ensure the committee acts as a critical friend.
6. Be accountable through regular report backs after meetings
7. Be active & visible in the Chamber and PLPThe Condems’ reckless and ideologically driven cuts programme alongside its gerrymandering agenda to gag the communities worst hit needs all our best efforts to bring Britain home to Labour.
The steady drumbeat of the Tory story that Labour left the cupboard bare has become more deep-rooted. That is why all of us in the PLP share a responsibility to set the record straight and regain the upper hand.
I hope you will support me with one of your votes and would be happy to discuss your views and priorities with you on xxxxxxxxxxx.
Yours truly,
Geraint Davies MP
Tags: Geraint Davies, plp committee, vote for me
Geraint Davies does not comment on rumours that he is a Freemason, and used Freemasonry to become leader of Croydon Council and MP for Swansea West. In fairness to Geraint Davies, he was an unpopular MP for Croydon Central.
Given the stranglehold Freemasonry has over public life in Croydon, I do think we should be told.
I dont know why he doesn’t just confirm or deny it but maybe he thinks the charge too ridiculous to respond to. He may well be / have been in that organisation at one time – who knows? but I’m inclined to doubt it.
Geraint was rather unusual as a Labour leader of Croydon Council in that he was a businessman with his own small business interests who joined the Labour party rather than having emerged from the trade union movement …which is where most Labour MPs and Council Leaders emerge from.
The reasons for Geriants unpopularity as a Croydon MP were down to his expenses which were mostly towards his second home in Westminster (which he needed despite the easy commute …he claims because of the late night sittings) and his propensity for turning his expenses account into party propaganda (he had to repay some stamps when Michael Martin gave him a slap on the wrist) which lost the party a lot of votes when Pelling brought it to light just before the 2005 poll. He also was infamously the MP with the greatest expenses in 2005. Perhaps Geriant as a businessman was just better at getting the most out of the system. He wasn’t the only MP to milk the Parliamentary franking machine for all it was worth…
I dealt with him once or twice as a constituency MP and I have to say in his defence he was organised and extremely efficient but whether he was actually value for money is another matter. He had a reputation as party yes man but opinion is divided as to whether he was corrupt in his his expenses or just hilariously incompetant. He was in many ways a rather comical charecter and looked upon as rather bumbling.
The idea of Geraint as some kind of Masonic master manipulator is more amusing than reality. The local Labour party in Croydon is very organised and has always been very strong. There are no and have hardly been any Liberal Democrat councillors in Croydon – it’s always been a Labour/Conservative divide and the idea of Mr Davies being able to use Masonic influence to climb the ranks of the local Labour party is …well, slightly absurd.
The story of how he got the Swansea seat is slightly more mundane. He and Alan Williams who retired when Davies was kicked out in 2005 by 75 votes were on some committee (I think it was the Public Accounts Committee) and hit it off … I think because Williams and Davies were Welsh. After he lost Croydon Central Mr Davies suddenly had a rebirth of interest in his Welsh heritage and by the time it came to public attention he was standing for election to a CLP again it was too late he’d got the job. Some people tried to get the decision reversed but it was too late… and well … its done now. If he’d have been caught in the Telegraph Expenses scandal and been a sitting MP at the time Davies would’ve been toast but he was spared humiliation as his expenses were so old that detailed breakdown wasn’t available to the same level and he’d already been punished by the electorate for his foolishness. Stories of Masonic influence are amusing but the only society with secrets that Davies belongs to is the Labour Party where if you lose your seat by dubious behaviour then never mind the game of Musical chairs means there’ll always be another.
I cant get too cross with Davies though as I find him a loveable rogue in the Arthur Daley mould rather than a Roberto Calvi.