David Mellor

former British politician, non-practising barrister, broadcaster, journalist and businessman (born 1949)
(Redirected from Mellor, David)

David John Mellor (born 12 March 1949) is a British broadcaster, barrister, and former politician. As a member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1990–1992) and Secretary of State for National Heritage (April–September 1992), before resigning in 1992. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Putney from 1979 to 1997.

David Mellor in 2022

Quotes edit

  • The press – the popular press – is drinking in the Last Chance Saloon.
    • Quoted in Roy Greenslade, "A decade of diplomacy," The Guardian (5 February 2001)
    • Comment made in 1989 after a series of salacious stories in the tabloid press.
  • The tabloids are like animals, with their own behavioural patterns. There’s no point in complaining about them, any more than complaining that lions might eat you.
    • Quoted in The Independent (3 November 1992) following his resignation in September of that year.
  • Lawyers are like rhinoceroses: thick-skinned, short-sighted, and always ready to charge.
  • And I'd like to say this to [Sir James Goldsmith].......who has got nothing to be smug about, and I would like to say that 1,500 votes is a derisory total. We have shown tonight that the Referendum Party is dead in the water, and Sir James can get off back to Mexico knowing your attempt to buy the British political system has failed.
    • Quoted in Brian Cathcart Were you still up for Portillo? (Penguin Books, 1997), pp. 63-4
    • From a speech following his defeat at the 1997 General Election and directed at Sir James Goldsmith, another candidate in the constituency.
  • I'm afraid the people of Putney said: "Up your hacienda, Jimmy".
    • From an interview with Michael Buerk following his defeat in the 1997 General Election and directed at Sir James Goldsmith.
  • There is no design involved. It would look tawdry down the wrong end of a beach in Torremolinos. This isn't a case of just not wanting it in my backyard. This area is historically significant with listed buildings and it's next to the Tower of London, which is a world heritage site.

Quotations about David Mellor edit

  • This is the first time in ages that David Mellor has done the decent thing.

External links edit

 
Wikipedia
Wikipedia has an article about: