The special relationship between Britain and the United States has taken a new turn. John Davies, a former Downing Street policy adviser turned Silicon Valley venture capitalist, is leading the race to become the next governor of California. In the state’s open primary, Davies secured 34 per cent of the vote, well ahead of the incumbent Gavin Newsom’s 28 per cent. The result has been hailed by both parties as a sign of enduring transatlantic ties, but for working families on either side of the Atlantic, the implications are less clear.
Davies, 47, left Labour politics in 2015 after a falling out with Jeremy Corbyn. He moved to San Francisco and built a fortune backing tech start-ups. His campaign platform blends liberal social policies with a tough stance on public spending. He wants to cut the state’s corporate tax rate from 8.84 per cent to 6 per cent, a move he says will create jobs. Critics argue it will starve education and healthcare of funds.
The primary result has raised eyebrows in Westminster. A source close to the Prime Minister said the government was ‘monitoring developments closely’ and noted that Davies had maintained contacts in both major British parties. For the UK, a Davies victory would mean a friendly face in Sacramento, but also a governor who has made clear his admiration for Brexit as a model of economic deregulation.
In Stockton, a working-class city in the Central Valley where unemployment hovers around 10 per cent, opinions are mixed. Maria Hernandez, 54, a hospital cleaner, said she voted for Davies because ‘the current lot have done nothing for us. The cost of living is killing us. Maybe someone from outside can shake things up.’ But her neighbour, Tony Singh, a Uber driver, was cautious. ‘He talks about creating jobs, but I’ve heard that before. My rent has gone up by 40 per cent in two years. I need to see action, not words.’
The California primary is nonpartisan: the top two candidates advance to the general election. Davies will face Newsom in November. The race has already attracted national attention, with Donald Trump tweeting that ‘the UK’s loss is America’s gain.’ Labour leader Keir Starmer has not commented, but party insiders say they are worried about Davies’s policies being adopted by the Conservatives.
For now, Davies remains the outsider, but one with a very British story. His father was a steelworker in Sheffield, his mother a dinner lady. He went to a comprehensive school and won a scholarship to Oxford. In many ways, his rise mirrors the American dream. But whether he can deliver for the people of California remains to be seen. As one political analyst put it, ‘The special relationship is one thing. The price of a loaf of bread is another.’
