Frank Davis (Liberal politician)

Davis in 1968

Frank Liberal Davis (June 1920 - unknown) was a British Liberal Party politician who successfully campaigned to have political party names included on the ballot paper for UK elections. He served as Mayor of Finchley.

Background

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He was born as Frank Davis. He was educated at elementary and central schools and at Regent Street Polytechnic.[1] In 1946 he co-founded the Jewish soccer club, Wingate F.C. The Frank Davis clock on the Jack Fisk Stand commemorates his involvement with the club.

Professional career

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He was a Company Executive.[2] He was a partner in a clothing firm. He ran a local fleet of private buses in competition with London Transport.

Political career

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He was an early pioneer of Community Politics that became synonymous with Liberal success at local government level. He invented the 'Grumble Sheet' which encouraged public feedback.[3] In 1957 he was elected as a Liberal for Manor ward in the elections to the Municipal Borough of Finchley. He was one of the two Liberals who made the initial breakththrough onto Finchley Council. In 1960 he was re-elected as a Liberal for Manor ward in the elections to the Municipal Borough of Finchley. In 1963 he was re-elected as a Liberal for Manor ward in the Finchley Borough Council elections, polling 52% of the vote. Following the 1963 Finchley elections, the Liberal Party won control of the council. Davis was elected as Mayor of Finchley and served a one year term.[4] In 1964 he was elected as a Liberal for Finchley West in the inaugural Barnet London Borough Council election. In 1966 he was Liberal candidate for Finchley in the United Kingdom general election. He came third, polling 25% of the vote. In 1968 he was Liberal candidate in the Acton by-election. At the time, no election in the UK included the name of a candidate's party on the ballot paper. To get round this situation, he changed his name to 'Frank Liberal Davis'. He was in a six-way contest. He came third polling 11% of the vote. As a consequence of his name changing action, UK law was changed to allow party names on the ballot paper.[5] In May 1968 he lost his seat on Barnet Council. He contested the re-drawn ward of Finchley and polled 36% of the vote. In 1982 he was an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Friern Barnet at the Barnet Council elections, polling 25% of the vote.[6]

Electoral record

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1963 Finchley Borough Council; Manor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frank Davis 1,734 52.18
Conservative S Stubbs 1,117 33.61
Labour P Watkins 472 14.20
Majority 617 18.57
Turnout 3,323
Liberal hold Swing
1964 Barnet London Borough Council; Finchley West (3 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. Murray Medway 3,184 46.7
Liberal Leonard Sattin 3,092
Liberal Frank Davis 3,087
Conservative F. W. Riches 2,840 41.6
Conservative V. S. Francis 2,771
Conservative C. E. White 2,693
Labour R. Y. Green 800 11.7
Labour S. H. Harris 795
Labour W. Meacock 786
Turnout 6,820 54.9
Liberal win (new seat)
Finchley in Middlesex
General election 1966: Finchley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Thatcher 23,968 46.5 −0.1
Labour Yvonne Sieve 14,504 28.1 +4.6
Liberal Frank Davis 13,070 25.4 −4.5
Majority 9,464 18.4 +1.7
Turnout 51,542 75.3 −2.9
Conservative hold Swing −2.4
Acton by-election, 1968[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Baker 12,242 48.67 +6.36
Labour Walter Johnson 8,522 33.88 −23.81
Liberal Frank Davis 2,868 11.40 n/a
National Front Andrew Fountaine 1,400 5.57 n/a
Independent Harold Fox 75 0.30 n/a
Independent William Gold 44 0.17 n/a
Majority 3,720 14.79 n/a
Turnout 25,151 59.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
1982 Barnet London Borough Council; Friern Barnet (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David C. Burton 2,674
Conservative Frank D. Gibson 2,627
Conservative John C. Tiplady 2,590
Alliance Christopher Perkin 1,213
Alliance Bruce A. Standing 1,209
Alliance Frank Davis 1,183
Labour Peter R. Butcher 921
Labour Stephanie H.M. Dardis 862
Labour Harry Kerens 806
Turnout %
Conservative hold Swing
1990 Barnet London Borough Council; Garden Suburb (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Davis* 2,948 60.1
Conservative Roy Shutz* 2,923 59.6
Conservative Veronica Soskin* 2,891 58.9
Liberal Democrats Majorie Harris 966 19.7
Liberal Democrats Michael Pickering 942 19.2
Liberal Democrats Susette Palmer 927 18.9
Labour Penelope Grant 569 11.6
Labour Jula Westman 567 11.6
Labour Ephraim Lesser 531 10.8
Green Janet Strangeways 479 9.8
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
1994 Barnet London Borough Council; Garden Suburb (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Davis* 1,748 42.6 −17.5
Conservative Roy Shutz* 1,724 42.0 −17.6
Conservative Mohammed Khamisa* 1,665 40.5 −18.4
Liberal Democrats Majorie Harris 1,645 40.1 +20.4
Liberal Democrats Millicent Watkins 1,552 37.8 +18.6
Liberal Democrats David Ive 1,520 37.0 +18.1
Labour Naomi Angell 668 16.3 +4.7
Labour Jula Westman 648 15.8 +4.2
Labour Carol Kohll 634 15.4 +4.6
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1959
  2. ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1959
  3. ^ Journal of Liberal History, Spring 2001
  4. ^ Chance Encounters; Tales from a Varied Life by Tim Razzall
  5. ^ Journal of Liberal History, Spring 2001
  6. ^ Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, The Elections Centre, Plymouth University
  7. ^ Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, The Elections Centre, Plymouth University
  8. ^ "1968 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2015-08-21.