David Laws
A Liberal Democrat who became the coalition government's fiscal architect, negotiating austerity while trying to protect schools from cuts.
Born 1965 (age 61)·British politician·Birthday: November 30·Generation X
Biography
David Laws entered Parliament in 2001 as the MP for Yeovil, bringing a sharp intellect forged in the City of London to the Liberal Democrat benches. His moment of profound influence arrived in 2010 when his party entered a historic coalition with the Conservatives. Appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, he was the man tasked with finding billions in spending cuts, a role that lasted only 17 days before a scandal over expenses claims forced his resignation. He returned to government in 2012 as a key policy fixer, serving as Minister of State for Schools. There, he operated as a pragmatic and data-driven force within the Department for Education, championing academy expansion and a harder line on underperformance. His political career was cut short in 2015 when he lost his seat, but he left a lasting imprint as a cerebral and sometimes controversial figure who helped shape the UK's post-crash fiscal landscape.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the 2010 coalition government, co-authoring its first emergency budget.
- As Minister of State for Schools from 2012-2015, he was a driving force behind the expansion of the academy schools programme.
- Authored the 2004 Orange Book essay 'The Limits of Taxation', which influenced Liberal Democrat economic policy.
- Elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil in 2001, holding the seat for 14 years.
- Co-founded the CentreForum think tank (now known as the Education Policy Institute).
Did You Know?
He resigned as Chief Secretary after 17 days in office due to an expenses controversy.
Before politics, he worked as an investment banker at Barclays de Zoete Wedd.
He is a published author, writing a book about the 2010-2015 coalition government titled 'Coalition'.
He was privately educated at the King's School, Canterbury, and studied economics at Cambridge.
“null”
