David Melding has been a member of the National Assembly for Wales since its creation in 1999. Before entering politics, David volunteered in the non-profit sector and was the Welsh director of a major UK campaigning charity. David was educated at Cardiff University (BSc Econ in politics) and the College of William and Mary, Virginia, USA (M.A. in government).
He served as Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly between 2011 and 2016. Previously, David was responsible for producing the Assembly Manifestos (2003, 2007 and 2011) as Director of Policy of the Welsh Conservative Group.
He is the author of ‘Will Britain Survive Beyond 2020?’ and ‘The Reformed Union: The UK as a Federation’. He is an acknowledged authority on constitutional reform and regularly takes part in TV and radio discussions on the UK’s changing constitution.
David chaired several committees in the National Assembly: Standards of Conduct (2000-2002), Health and Social Services (2003-2006) Legislation (2006-2007), the Audit Committee (2007-2009) and the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee (2011-2016).
Some of David’s other policy interests include social enterprises and co-operatives, mental health, and the built environment. He is the founder of the Welsh Think Tank, Gorwel and the Welsh Foundation for Innovation in Public Affairs.