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David TC Davies reveals he rejected offer of Welsh Secretary job under Boris Johnson

30 Dec 2022 3 minute read
David TC Davies. Photo Victoria Jones PA Images

David TC Davies has revealed he turned down the offer of the Welsh Secretary job during the final hours of Boris Johnson’s premiership.

The Monmouth MP, who was a junior minister in the Wales Office, rejected the approach from Mr Johnson just 24 hours before he resigned as PM in July.

Mr Davies told Newyddion S4C, that while the decision was “difficult”, he “wasn’t going to be the one to save” the Johnson government.

Mr Davies declined Mr Johnson’s offer on 6 July amid an unprecedented wave of ministerial resignations, including then Welsh Secretary Simon Hart.

Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland subsequently agreed to replace Mr Hart because Mr Johnson had agreed to resign, but when Rishi Sunak was selected as the new leader of the Conservative Party in October, Mr Davies accepted the job.

Recalling the night before Mr Johnson stepped down on 7 July, Mr Davies said it was “inevitable the government was going to fall so it was important to accept that and not do anything that would sustain the government for a few more days”.

Right decision

He told Newyddion that he had “been in discussion” with Mr Hart before he urged Mr Johnson to quit along with a group of ministers at Downing Street.

It was a “difficult” decision to turn down the job but it was “right,” Mr Davies added.

‘I made the right decision’

“I said, ‘under the circumstances, if Simon steps down, I won’t take the job’. Despite the temptation to take a place in the cabinet, for me it didn’t feel right to see Simon go on a point of principle and just take the job,” he said.

“Even had I done that, I’m sure the government would have fallen anyway, I wasn’t going to save it.

“I also felt that to do this job you’ve got to have the respect of stakeholders in Wakes, and how can I expect anyone to respect me if I’ve taken the job if no one else wants to do it.

“When I got the call from Downing Street, offering me the job, I said, unfortunately, I’m really sorry but I can’t do that. It was difficult, but I’m sure I made the right decision.”

The role was filled a day later by Sir Robert Buckland, who said that he only took the job because Mr Johnson had agreed to quit.


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Frank
Frank
1 year ago

It’s just a shame he accepted the post under Sunak. He’s Wales’ worst enemy.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

Effectively David TC Davies is saying that he refused the post of Welsh Secretary under Boris Johnson on moral grounds lol. Yeah I found that funny too. And don’t forget. This is a man who’s not even Welsh having been born in London. So Welsh Secretary is a tad misleading. In 1997 he led the ‘No Campaign’ to stop the creation of the then Welsh Assembly before running to become a member of the very same institution he wanted abolished spending years undermining it before becoming the MP for Monmouth to screw further the public purse and to bait and… Read more »

Cicoch
Cicoch
1 year ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

I was born in London. My grandparents, parents, brother were all Welsh. I have lived most of my life in Wales. I speak some Welsh. Am I not Welsh?

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
1 year ago
Reply to  Cicoch

Of course you are. So is Davies. So is my brother who was born in England to Welsh parents and brought up in Wales, just like Davies.

Malcolm Jones
Malcolm Jones
1 year ago

Why was this Welsh hating man given the job? Is it because everyone knows that he would not pick up his little finger to do anything good for the people or the country of Wales God help Wales because he won’t

Frank
Frank
1 year ago
Reply to  Malcolm Jones

I am 73 and I do not remember a Welsh Secretary who ever did anything for the good of Wales.

Arthur Owen
Arthur Owen
1 year ago
Reply to  Malcolm Jones

The mean spirit shown by so many of the posters here would be astonishing if it was not laughable.

Lib Dem YesCymru Infiltrator
Lib Dem YesCymru Infiltrator
1 year ago

The fact the decision was difficult speaka volumes. If you have moral integrity you see Johnson is a bad man and the NO decision is easy.

BethAmHyn
BethAmHyn
1 year ago

Lib Dem “Enter party name here” Infiltrator. 🙂

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