Dehenna Davison

Dehenna Davison made history on election night in 2019 when she became the first Conservative MP for Bishop Auckland since the seat’s creation in 1885. Labour’s Helen Goodman, who had held the seat since 2005, was defending a slim majority of 502 but Davison comfortably beat her, taking the seat by 7,962 votes. Just 26 at the time of her election, Davison previously worked as a research and development analyst for LUMO, a company that advises businesses on tax credits. Her greatest political inspiration is Margaret Thatcher, who Davison credits with “breaking the glass ceiling” in becoming the UK’s first female prime minister. She said: “If she could do it, then maybe one day I might be able to. She said her proudest political achievement is helping protect Bishop Auckland Hospital’s stroke rehabilitation ward from closure, an issue she notably raised at Prime Minister’s Questions shortly after being elected. Davison said: “The hospital has seen a decline in services since it opened in 2002, and I am determined to reverse this decline and see the hospital restored to its former glory.” Informed by her father’s tragic murder when she was a teenager, Davison has a particular interest in crime and policing issues. She is a member of the Home Affairs select committee and said she saw “the ugly side of the justice system” following her father’s death. A Eurosceptic with good connections throughout her party, Davison is a member of the European Research Group, China Research Group and Blue Collar Conservatives. Inspired by Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Davison said: “Politics is all about trying to put yourself in other people’s shoes to see how you can make things better.”