Valerie Davey

Born in Surrey, Davey studied theology and history at the University of Birmingham and gained a PGCE at the Institute of Education in 1963. She then gained an MA in Theology, where she specialised in New Testament textual criticism. Entering work, she taught near Wolverhampton at the Regis Comprehensive School (now the King's Church of England School) on Regis Road in Tettenhall. After her marriage she moved to Tanzania and taught at the Ilboru Secondary School on Ilboru Road in Arusha. She moved to Bristol in 1968, and concentrated on her children. She taught for one year Religious studies A level at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. She was an Avon County Council Councillor from 1981 until the county's abolition in 1996 and was Labour group leader from 1992. She was also a governor of various schools and of Bristol Polytechnic (now the UWE).

She won the three-way marginal seat at the 1997 general election, displacing the Conservative cabinet minister William Waldegrave, but lost it to the Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams at the 2005 general election.

In Parliament, she was a member of the House of Commons Education & Skills Committee.

She married Graham Davey in 1966 in Weston-super-Mare. They have a son and two daughters.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Valerie Davey
• Aristole profile from The Guardian
• They Work For You
• Honorary degree from UWE in November 2005 after she lost her seat