John Davies (British businessman)

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The Right Honourable John Davies MBE
Davies in 1973
Shadow Foreign Secretary
In office 11 April 1976 – 6 November 1978
Leader	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Reginald Maudling
Succeeded by	Francis Pym
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 5 November 1972 – 5 March 1974
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Geoffrey Rippon
Succeeded by	Harold Lever
President of the Board of Trade
In office 15 October 1970 – 5 November 1972
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Michael Noble
Succeeded by	Peter Walker
Secretary of State for Trade & Industry
In office 15 October 1970 – 5 November 1972
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Post established
Succeeded by	Peter Walker
Minister of Technology
In office 28 July 1970 – 15 October 1970
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Geoffrey Rippon
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Director of the Confederation of British Industry
In office 30 July 1965 – 15 October 1969
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Campbell Adamson
Member of Parliament for Knutsford
In office 18 June 1970 – 6 November 1978
Preceded by	Walter Bromley-Davenport
Succeeded by	Jock Bruce-Gardyne
Personal details
Born	John Emerson Harding Harding-Davies (1916-01-08)8 January 1916 London, England
Died	4 July 1979(1979-07-04) (aged 63) London, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Vera Bates ​ (m. 1943)​
Children	2, including Frank
Education	St Edward's School, Oxford
Profession	Businessman

John Emerson Harding Harding-Davies, MBE (8 January 1916 – 4 July 1979) was a British businessman who served as director-general of the Confederation of British Industry during the 1960s. He later went into politics and served in the Cabinet of Edward Heath as the first Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, a position which he held from October 1970 to 4 November 1972. Davies was President of the Board of Trade, and from July to October 1970 was Minister of Technology. He became a Privy Councillor and, in 1972, was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with special responsibilities for the co-ordination of British policy towards the European Communities. In 1979 Davies was to be made a life peer as Baron Harding-Davies, but died before the creation of the peerage passed the Great Seal. Peerage history was made when, by Royal Warrant bearing the date 27 February 1980, Queen Elizabeth II granted his widow Vera Georgina the title of Lady Harding-Davies; his children Frank Davies and Rosamond Ann Metherell were given the rank of children of a life peer.