Peter Davies (politician)

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"The one thing to be said about the Taliban is that they do have an ordered society of some sort and that they don't have hundreds of cases of children under threat of abuse from violent parents, as we have in Doncaster."

Peter Davies, September 2009

Davies made it clear it was the moral code he was an admirer of while detesting the Taliban themselves, adding, "The point I was making was that even a regime as hideous as the Taliban at least appear to have sort of decent sort of family affairs. In fact probably...they have an ordered society." He continued: "We in this country have created mayhem through lax social policies of disregard for marriage and the family and we have created mayhem in society." [24]

Child protection services in Doncaster

After an incident in which two young boys living in Council care were given indeterminate sentences for the torture of two other children, an Audit Commission report stated that: “Those leading the council – the mayor and cabinet, some councillors and some officers – do not collectively have the capacity or capability to make the necessary improvements in governance.” Davies responded that he thought it “a very black report without any shade of colour at all and painted the town as a dreadful hole that no one would ever want to come to or live in and that is not Doncaster”, adding, "The town has been languishing in the doldrums under Labour rule and it's time that it made use of its huge advantages." [25]

Library closures

Davies has been criticised by Doncaster residents after admitting that he had never borrowed a book from a public library and walking out of a public meeting convened to discuss the proposed closure of a local library, a branch that Davies admitted to having never seen. [26]

Elections contested

Peter Davies
Mayor of Doncaster
In office
8 June 2009 5 May 2013
ElectionConstituencyPartyVotesPercentage of votesSource(s)
1994 European election Yorkshire South UKIP 3,9482.6 [27]
1996 Parliamentary by-election Hemsworth UKIP4552.1
1997 general election Doncaster Central UKIP4621.1
1998 European by-electionYorkshire SouthUKIP13,83011.6 [27]
2006 Doncaster Council local election Finningley Ward ED 97321.2 [28]
2007 Doncaster Council local election Finningley WardED1,11123.8 [29]
2008 Doncaster Council local election Finningley WardED1,00321.6 [30]
2009 European election Yorkshire and the Humber ED31,2872.6 [31]
2009 Doncaster mayoral election Doncaster ED24,725 (both first and second preference votes)22.6 (of first preference votes) 51.7 (of second preference votes) [32]
2013 Doncaster mayoral election Doncaster Independent25,344 (both first and second preference votes)34.9 (of first preference votes) 49.4 (of second preference votes) [33]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "'New broom' pledges to sweep political halls of Doncaster clean", Yorkshire Post , 5 June 2009
  2. BBC News "Doncaster mayor quits English Democrats 'because of BNP'", 5 February 2013
  3. "PROFILE: Peter Davies", Doncaster Free Press , 28 May 2009
  4. Smithard, Tom. "Shock message for Government as maverick Mayor takes control". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  5. Burke, Darren (28 June 2024). "Senior Tory son of ex-Doncaster mayor 'bet £8,000 on losing his seat at election'". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  6. "Doncaster Mayor Peter Davies". City Mayors. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  7. Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1992-97 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  8. Mark Daniel, Cranks and Gadflies (2005), p.53
  9. "Local Elections 2008". Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010. doncaster.gov.uk, accessed 10 June 2009
  10. Doncaster Mayoral Elections [ permanent dead link ], Doncaster Borough Council
  11. "Toby Foster meets Mayor Peter Davies". BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  12. Social workers back in hospital BBC News, 9 June 2009
  13. "Mayor vows to cut Gay Pride funds". BBC News. 6 June 2009.
  14. "New mayor makes Gay Pride U-turn". BBC News. 12 June 2009.
  15. Pidd, Helen (30 April 2013). "Doncaster's maverick mayor seeks second term". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  16. Stratton, Allegra (7 April 2010). "Election 2010 party guides: Smaller parties". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  17. Martin Slack (9 March 2010). "Town backing out of 'eco-vision' plan under green-sceptic mayor". Yorkshire Post.
  18. Martin Slack (23 February 2010). "Yorkshire Mayor suffers double vote blow". Yorkshire Post.
  19. "Troubled history of Doncaster Council". BBC News Online. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  20. "Government appoints new Doncaster Council chief". BBC News Online. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  21. Kessen, Dabid (8 October 2010). "Mayor's code of conduct breach". The Star . Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  22. "Doncaster mayor quits English Democrats 'because of BNP'". BBC News Online. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  23. "Labour's Ros Jones wins Doncaster mayoral election", BBC News, 3 May 2013
  24. Britain could learn from Taliban family values says Doncaster's mayor
  25. "Report portraying Doncaster a 'hole' unfair says mayor". BBC News. 27 May 2010.
  26. Mayor storms out of public debate on Doncaster's libraries
  27. 1 2 "UK European Parliamentary Election Results 1979–99: England". Election.demon.co.uk. 31 January 1999. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  28. "Local Elections 2006 | Doncaster Council". Doncaster.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  29. "Local Elections 2007 | Doncaster Council". Doncaster.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  30. "Local Elections 2008 | Doncaster Council". Doncaster.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  31. "UK results: Yorkshire and the Humber". BBC News. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  32. "Mayoral Election 2009 Results | Doncaster Council". Doncaster.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  33. "Vote 2013 Results for Doncaster". BBC News Online. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Doncaster
2009–2013
Succeeded by