Quentin Davies, the former Member of Parliament for Grantham and Stamford, has passed away at the age of 80. Known as Lord Davies of Stamford after his peerage, Davies had a long political career that spanned almost four decades.

Born in Oxford, Davies initially worked as a diplomat before transitioning to banking.

He entered politics in 1987, when he was elected to represent Stamford and Spalding, a position he held until 1997 when the constituency was abolished.

He then represented the newly redrawn Grantham and Stamford seat until he chose not to seek re-election in 2010.

Davies made headlines in 2007 when he dramatically defected from the Conservative Party to Labour, just a day before Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister.

In a letter to his former leader, David Cameron, Davies expressed his disillusionment with the Conservative Party, claiming it had 'ceased collectively to believe in anything.' His defection came as a shock to many, including Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, who described Davies as 'larger than life.'

During his political career, Lord Davies held several prominent roles, including shadow Northern Ireland secretary and junior defence minister.

After his defection, he was appointed to the House of Lords in 2010, where he served until 2023.

Charmaine Morgan, an independent councillor and former Labour activist in Grantham, remembered Davies attending a Labour Party quiz night after his defection, where he scored the highest on a section about the history of the Labour Party.

Lord Davies’ death marks the end of a long and distinctive political journey, one that included significant shifts and contributions to both the Conservative and Labour parties.