London (AFP) – New Prime Minister Theresa May is sending in former special forces soldier David Davis to negotiate Britain’s exit from the EU.
Davis, a senior Conservative Party figure who is a sharp operator and a gut instinct politician, was a “Leave” campaigner in the referendum on Britain’s EU membership.
Now the right-wing libertarian and ardent eurosceptic is in charge of handling the tricky negotiations that come with the newly-created role of secretary of state for exiting the European Union.
Davis, 67, is well acquainted with the Brussels beat: he was Europe minister between 1994 and 1997 as the European issue tore apart John Major’s government.
But he has been in the political backwoods after marching out of David Cameron’s front bench team on a point of principle — a rift he never reconciled.
On Monday he published his ideas for a Brexit economic strategy, summed up as “Trade deals. Tax cuts. And taking time before triggering Article 50”, the EU exit mechanism.
“The ideal outcome, (and in my view the most likely, after a lot of wrangling) is continued tariff-free access” to the European single market, he wrote.
“Once the European nations realise that we are not going to budge on control of our borders, they will want to talk, in their own interest.”
Consulting with business and the regions should allow Britain to trigger Article 50 “by the beginning of next year”.
– Humble origins –
Born to a single mother and brought up on a public housing estate in London, Davis went on to study molecular and computer sciences at Warwick University in central England.
From there, he took a higher degree in business at the London Business School, attending the advanced management programme at elite US university Harvard while pursuing a career on the board of sugar giant Tate and Lyle.
Davis also served as a reservist in the Special Air Service, the British army’s elite special force unit.
Noted for his love of climbing and flying, his ascent in politics began in 1987 when he was elected to parliament, representing a seat in northern England.
He became a government whip ensuring party discipline and later, as Major’s Europe minister, delighted in the nickname “Monsieur Non”.
Davis then chaired the powerful public accounts committee in the lower House of Commons from 1997 to 2001.
He ran for the Conservative leadership in 2001 and came fourth, but was made party chairman.
– Leadership contender –
Davis was the front-runner in the 2005 Conservative Party leadership contest, but lost out to Cameron, shedding momentum after a party conference speech fell flat.
He stayed on as the party’s home affairs spokesman, but dramatically resigned his seat to force a by-election in protest at the Labour government’s erosion of civil liberties.
He won the seat back but the move cost him his place in Cameron’s top team.
When the Conservatives returned to power in 2010, he never got a government post and spent his time on the backbenches campaigning on civil liberties issues.
A father of three with grandchildren, Davis has never been afraid to speak his mind.
Now he has his hands on a job he will relish — and will be keen to play hardball with Brussels once again.
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