At the honorary executive committee meetings of the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel the team sometimes struggled to recall something – an event, a date, the election or a Jewish festival. But Jonathan Davies, its organiser-in-chief, long-term vice chair,treasurer and frequent meeting host would remember it instantly. It would be there at the snap of his fingers. It was part of his DNA that the meticulous Davies would make sure LDFI ran like clockwork, with every detail in place. He was considered by colleagues to be in every sense a Liberal Democrat stalwart.
His ability to call up an event at his fingertips reflected a first rate mind, according to his friend Gavin Stollar, Lib Dems Friends of Israel’s honorary chair. Davies, he said, was a phenomenal activist at a local level in the London Borough of Barnet.
According to Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, OBE: “As well as being a Liberal to his core, Jonathan was incredibly proud of his Judaism and, as a devout Zionist, his love for Israel. He was a longstanding Deputy on the Board of Deputies of British Jews and his contribution to the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel, and his local Jewish community, is immeasurable”.
Lord Palmer recalled Davies’ participation in LDFI delegations to the Middle East, Israel and the West Bank, where colleagues remembered his valuable input and his unstinting commitment.
“We will miss his insight, his warmth and his companionship,” Lord Palmer reflected.
Davies devoted many hours to campaigning for and supporting the Party and was present at its key political moments during the last decade.
An Oxford graduate and former partner and head of financial services at a large City law firm, Davies, who has died after a year of illness at the age of 59, represented Childs Hill as a councillor from 1994 to 1998.
He stood for Parliament in Finchley and Golders Green on three occasions and was appointed the ward’s election agent in the very high profile 2019 election. But earlier he was elected chair of the English Liberal Democrats in 2010, a defining year when its popular leader Nick Clegg, took the party into coalition with David Cameron’s Tories.
Jonathan Davies, was the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Finchley and Golders Green at the General Election of May, 2015, campaigning on local issues including the future of the borough’s library service.
But that election saw the end of the Tory-Lib-Dem coalition whose promise evaporated in the worst result for the Lib Dems since their 1988 formation. They held just eight of their previous 57 seats, as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg resigned and Cabinet ministers Vince Cable, Ed Davey and Danny Alexander lost their seats.
But at the time Davies said: “It’s the first time we are defending our record in government, and we are proud of that record.” Although Davies only won 1,662 votes, representing 3.3 percent of the vote share, he insisted: “It’s very important the Liberal case is made, especially at a time of anti-immigration and anti-foreigner feeling.” Standing again as the Parliamentary candidate for Finchley and Golders Green in the June, 2017 election, Davies’ share of the vote more than doubled his 2015 result, winning 3,463 votes, a six per cent share.
But in both elections Mike Freer held the seat for the Tories. Shortly before that election, in April, when the then Lib Dem leader Tim Farron sacked parliamentary candidate David Ward, who had accused ‘the Jews’ (sic) of atrocities against the Palestinians, Jonathan Davies condemned Ward’s –“unacceptable statements which made him wholly unsuitable to represent the Liberal Democrats who are committed to work for an open, tolerant and united society”.
He added: “David Ward has always been a marginal figure in the Liberal Democrats – at least we’ve never elected someone with such views as Party leader.”
Davies was the son of Carmel and Ted Davies, and grew up in Harrow, Stanmore and Hatch End. His father was a research chemist, but in 1974 his job took him to Gravesend, Kent, where the family moved.
Davies attended Gravesend Grammar School, followed by Christchurch College, Oxford where he studied Law from 1980 to 1983. He then attended the College of Law at Guildford between 1983 and 1984 to qualify as a solicitor. He lived in Brighton where the family moved following his father’s retirement and joined City law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC), as an articled clerk in 1984.
He rose to become a partner and head of the financial services team. He had an enthusiasm for corporate litigation and while still an articled clerk, he once recalled the satisfaction of seizing someone’s Rolls Royce!
He bought his first home, a small flat in Tottenham in 1986, moved to Hendon in 2001 and to Golders Green in 2005. Until he became ill last year he was an active member and office holder of the local Residents’ Association for many years, highly respected by all the neighbours. He is survived by his brother Neil and sister-in law Suzanne.
GLORIA TESSLER
Jonathan Davies: born 29 January, 1962. Died May 4, 2021
