David John Mellor (born 12 March 1949 in Wareham, Dorset) is a British lawyer and former politician. Trained at the bar, he entered Parliament at the 1979 general election and represented the Putney constituency in London for the Conservative Party. His career combined legal practice, ministerial office and later work in journalism and broadcasting.

Mellor qualified as a barrister in 1972 and built a legal practice before taking silk in 1987, becoming a Queen's Counsel (now commonly styled King’s Counsel). His grounding in law shaped his early parliamentary interests and provided a professional base when he left front-line politics. He is listed in a number of public biographies and directories of the profession.

Parliamentary and ministerial career

Elected in the wave that brought Margaret Thatcher to office, Mellor served as the MP for Putney from 1979 until 1997. He rose through ministerial ranks and, in 1990, was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury by John Major, a senior Treasury role responsible for public expenditure priorities and departmental spending limits. His ministerial duties placed him at the centre of fiscal debates of the early 1990s.

Scandal, resignation and electoral defeat

In 1992 Mellor’s ministerial career was curtailed by a widely publicised extramarital affair and associated media coverage. The publicity prompted his resignation from ministerial office; he remained an MP for a period but lost his seat to the Labour Party at the 1997 general election, a contest that returned many long-serving Conservative MPs to private life.

After Parliament and legacy

After leaving the Commons Mellor pursued work in media, including broadcasting, commentary and journalism, and took on occasional consultancy and public speaking roles. He has been described in commentary as part of the cohort of Conservative figures whose careers spanned the Thatcher and Major eras. His experience is often discussed in relation to debates about press intrusion, private life and political accountability.

Notable facts

  • Mellor became a barrister in 1972 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1987 (now styled King’s Counsel).
  • He served as Member of Parliament for Putney from 1979 to 1997.
  • Appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1990, a senior post in the UK Treasury.
  • Resigned from ministerial office after a high-profile personal scandal in 1992 and later left Parliament following the 1997 election.
  • Following politics he worked in broadcasting, journalism and occasional consultancy.

For further reading and sources about his parliamentary record and later media work see biographical entries and public profiles: biography, regional background details, and context on the UK political landscape and parties such as the British system and the Conservative Party.