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Andrew Davies
Andrew Davies (b. 5 May 1952, Hereford, England) is a Labour politician; currently Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery in the Welsh Assembly Government and member for the constituency of Swansea West in the National Assembly for Wales.

He was born in Hereford to Welsh parents, his mother from Llandeilo and his father from Holywell, Flintshire. Davies attended Hereford Cathedral School and Swansea University, where he trained as a teacher.

Professional career
He worked for the Ford Motor Company and a public affairs company. Davies is also a qualified counsellor and has lectured in further, higher and continuing education.

Political career
Former Chair of Swansea West Labour Party and member of the Welsh Labour Executive Committee, he was a regional party official from 1984-91. Davies was one of the architects of devolution as main organiser of the Labour Party Yes Campaign in 1997. He has been a member of the Cabinet since the Assembly was established.

From May 1999 to February 2002 he served as Business Manager with a place on the Business Committee. During the period of Labour minority government (May 1999-October 2000), he also served as chief whip of the Labour group, but Standing Orders of the Labour Group prohibited him holding this post during a coalition period.

As Business Manager, Davies took personal responsibility for communications with the public and he remains one of the most high profile Cabinet Ministers. Indeed, he has a reputation for the most unusual photo-calls of any Cabinet Minister.

In February 2002 promotion followed the "tweak" by Rhodri Morgan to his Cabinet when, with Mike German AM still outside Government, Andrew Davies was promoted to Minister for Economic Development. It is arguably the second most senior position in Cabinet and was seen as a reward for loyalty as well as a generally effective performance in managing Assembly business.

In the May 2003 reshuffle he also gained responsibility for transport policy. A key initiative which he has helped drive is the Assembly's policy of extending broadband connectivity throughout Wales, and his own website is generally reckoned, as befits an e-Minister, to be amongst the best of those produced by Assembly Members. From 2000 he has also had personal responsibility for co-ordination of information technology in public institutions, and has sought to advance Wales's IT abilities on a European level.

Perhaps his most lasting achievement as a Minister has been driving forward the reform of the public sector in Wales and he led from the front in making the case for the merger of the Welsh Development Agency into the Welsh Assembly Government. His tendency of attacking opposition politicians and his combative style mark him out from most other Welsh politicians.

In May 2007 Davies became Minister for Social Justice and Public Service delivery in the Labour led minority government. In the coalition government of Labour and Plaid Cymru, Davies was appointed Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery on 19 July.