David Melding
David Robert Michael Melding CBE, MS (born 28 August 1962) is a former Welsh Conservative Party politician, who served as a Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales Central between 1999 and 2021. He was the Deputy Presiding Officer of the Senedd between 2011 and 2016. Early life. Melding was born in Neath, where he attended Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School. He read Politics at the University of Wales, Cardiff, obtaining a BSc (Econ), followed by an MA in Government at the College of William and Mary, Virginia in the United States. Early career. Melding began his  career as part of the Conservative Research Department from 1986 until 1989. In 1989 he became Deputy Director of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs until 1996. From 1996 to 1999, he was a coordinator at the Carers National Association in Wales. Political career. Melding was elected to the Senedd in the South Wales Central Region in 1999, a position he held until 2021. He has long served as the Welsh Conservatives' Director of Policy, writing manifestos for the 2003, 2007 and 2011 assembly elections. He served as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Senedd between 2011 and 2016. In 2016  he was mentioned as a likely name to seek the role of Presiding Officer to succeed the outgoing Rosemary Butler, but in May he confirmed we would not be standing. Melding takes an interest in Welsh constitutional matters, and in 2017 proposed the establishment of a "second chamber of the assembly... for residents to influence decisions and laws". Such a chamber would be formed on the basis of citizens service. That same year, he was awarded a CBE for his "services to political and public life" in the New Years Honours List. In July 2018 he supported Paul Davies in  his campaign to become the Welsh Conservatives' new leader. In August 2019 Melding wrote in the Daily Express stating that the Conservative Party was under "severe threat" and "about to split". In September 2019 Melding spoke out against his party's position on a no-deal Brexit, stating that he "wanted no part in a no-deal Brexit strategy that would hurt the most vulnerable." He quit his role in the shadow front bench in September 2020 after disagreements with the party over changes to the Brexit agreements and the UK Internal Market Bill that was brought forward in the  UK Parliament on the same day. He made his decision of leaving the front bench permanently after "misgivings for some time" over the party's approach to Brexit, citing that it will lead to the union breaking up. Senedd positions. While serving in the Senedd, Melding has been appointed to a number of Committee and Shadow Cabinet roles: Personal life. In his spare time, Melding is Governor of Meadowbank Special School in Cardiff and Headlands Special School in Penarth. In February 2018 he spoke to the BBC about his experiences of "horribly debilitating" panic attacks, during a debate on mental  health in the Senedd.