Edward Clement Davies QC (19 February 1884 – 23 March 1962) was a Welsh politician and leader of the Liberal Party from 1945 to 1956.
He read law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he graduated with first-class honours.
In 1940, he was chairman of the All Party Action Group that played a significant role in forcing the resignation of the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain.
It was widely expected and generally hoped (probably even by Davies himself), that he would be only a 'caretaker' leader until the more dynamic and popular Sinclair could get back into the House of Commons.
Since that never happened, Davies, was in fact to remain party leader for the next 11 years, taking the Liberals through three general elections.
The general view of him was that of a personally decent man who did his best in a position to which neither taste nor temperament fitted him.
Davies was an alcoholic for decades,[8] which left him in a weakened state of health, particularly by the time he took on the burden of party leadership.
Also, despite the general affection in which he was held, his leadership was widely regarded as lacklustre and ineffective, thus contributing to the party's malaise at a time when it was most in need of direction.