David Mellor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Mellor
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David Mellor in 2023
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| Secretary of State for National Heritage | |
| In office 11 April 1992 – 22 September 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Peter Brooke |
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Norman Lamont |
| Succeeded by | Michael Portillo |
| Minister for the Arts | |
| In office 26 July 1990 – 28 November 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Richard Luce |
| Succeeded by | Tim Renton |
| Minister of State for Home Affairs | |
| In office 27 October 1989 – 26 July 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | John Patten |
| Succeeded by | Angela Rumbold |
| Minister of State for Health | |
| In office 25 July 1988 – 27 October 1989 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Tony Newton |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Trafford |
| Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | |
| In office 13 June 1987 – 25 July 1988 |
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| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
| Preceded by | Tim Renton |
| Succeeded by | William Waldegrave |
| Member of Parliament for Putney |
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| In office 3 May 1979 – 8 April 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Hugh Jenkins |
| Succeeded by | Tony Colman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 March 1949 Wareham, Dorset, England |
| Political party | None |
| Other political affiliations |
Conservative (until 2003) |
| Spouse |
Judith Mellor
(m. 1974; div. 1995) |
| Domestic partner | Penelope Lyttelton, Viscountess Cobham |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Christ's College, Cambridge |
| Profession | Barrister – not practising |
David John Mellor KC (born 12 March 1949) is a British broadcaster, lawyer, and former politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He served in the government under Prime Minister John Major. He was the Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1990 to 1992. He also served as Secretary of State for National Heritage in 1992. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Putney from 1979 to 1997.
After leaving Parliament, David Mellor became a newspaper writer and a radio presenter. He also led a government group called the 'Football Task Force'.
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Early Life and Education
David Mellor was born in Wareham, Dorset, England. He went to Swanage Grammar School. Later, he studied at Christ's College, part of the University of Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he was the leader of the university's Conservative group. He also appeared on the TV show University Challenge.
After university, he studied to become a Barrister (a type of lawyer). He qualified in 1972. He stopped practicing law in 1979 when he became an MP. In 1987, he was given the special title of Queen's Counsel.
A Career in Politics
David Mellor first tried to become an MP in 1974. He then successfully became the MP for Putney in the 1979 general election. He held this seat in Parliament until 1997.
Becoming a Government Minister
In 1981, David Mellor became a junior minister at the Department of Energy. This was his first government role.
In 1983, he moved to the Home Office. Here, he helped create important laws. These included laws about the police and how crimes are prosecuted. He also worked on laws to re-examine unfair court decisions. He helped create a law about scientific procedures involving animals.
In 1987, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher moved him to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He was responsible for areas like the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
From 1988 to 1989, Mellor was the Minister of State for Health. During this time, he helped start a national program for cochlear implants. These devices help people with severe hearing loss to hear.
In 1990, he became a Privy Counsellor. This is a special title given by the Queen or King. Shortly after, he became Minister for the Arts.
Later in 1990, he joined John Major's new government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This is a very important role in managing the country's money. In 1991, he spoke about the press. He said the popular newspapers needed to improve their standards.
After the 1992 general election, David Mellor became the first Secretary of State for National Heritage. This new department looked after culture, media, and sport. He was sometimes called the "Minister for Fun" because of comments he made about his new job.
Leaving Government
David Mellor resigned from his government role on 24 September 1992. This happened after a period of intense media attention. The media reported on his personal life and a holiday gift he had received. Despite support from Prime Minister John Major, the pressure from the media continued, leading to his resignation.
In the 1997 general election, David Mellor tried to keep his seat in Putney. However, he lost to Tony Colman from the Labour Party. This election was a big change, as the Labour Party won by a large amount, ending nearly 20 years of Conservative government.
Life After Parliament
After leaving Parliament, David Mellor continued to be active. From 1997 to 1999, he was the chairman of the Labour government's 'Football Task Force'. One of their suggestions that became law was making it a crime for individual spectators to racially abuse players.
He also started a career in journalism. He wrote articles for several national newspapers, including the Evening Standard and The Guardian. He often wrote about current events, sports, and the arts. He presented football shows on BBC Radio 5 and classical music shows on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3.
Since 2000, David Mellor has been a radio presenter at Classic FM. He also writes about opera and classical music for The Mail on Sunday newspaper. He is a regular guest on the radio station LBC, where he used to co-host a Saturday morning show about politics.
Personal Life
David Mellor married Judith Hall on 20 July 1974. They had two sons. They divorced in 1995. David Mellor now lives with his partner, Penelope Lyttelton, Viscountess Cobham.
