David Heath (politician)
David William St John Heath CBE PC (born 16 March 1954) is a British optometrist and Liberal Democrat politician.He unsuccessfully contested Somerton and Frome at the 1992 General Election where he was defeated by the new Conservative MP Mark Robinson by 4,341 votes.Following the 2001 General Election he became a spokesman on work and pensions as well as serving as a member of the Science and Technology Select Committee.In March 2008 Heath was one of three Liberal Democrat spokesmen to defy the party whip and vote in favour of a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon, for which he was sacked from his frontbench role.[3] In October 2008 he was given a partial reprieve when he was chosen to lead a Liberal Democrat commission on privacy in the UK,[4] and in January 2009 he was reappointed as spokesman on the office of the Leader of the House of Commons.
The Right HonourableMinister of State for Agriculture and FoodDavid CameronJames PaiceGeorge EusticeDeputy Leader of the House of CommonsBarbara KeeleyTom BrakeLiberal DemocratLeader of theHouse of CommonsNick CleggSimon HughesCharles KennedyMenzies CampbellVince CablePaul TylerMember of ParliamentSomerton and FromeMark RobinsonDavid WarburtonWestbury-sub-MendipAlma materSt John's College, OxfordoptometristMinister of Statefor Agriculture and FoodCameron–Clegg coalition governmentMendip HillsSomersetMillfield Preparatory SchoolMillfield SchoolStreet, SomersetSt John's CollegeUniversity of OxfordPhysiological SciencesOphthalmic OpticsCity UniversityCollege of OptometristsparliamentaryWorld Wide Fund for NatureAge ConcernLiberalSomerset County Council1992 General ElectionConservative1997 General Electionmaiden speechForeign Affairs Select Committeefrontbenchforeign affairsPaddy Ashdownagriculture, fisheries and food2001 General Electionwork and pensionsScience and Technology Select Committeehome affairsLeader of the House of CommonsDepartment for Constitutional AffairsMinistry of JusticeSelect Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commonsran for the deputy leadershipparty whipreferendumTreaty of LisbonRomaniavisual impairmentpharmacyAndrew LansleyPrivy CouncilWitham FriaryAvon and Somerset Police AuthorityCommander of the Order of the British EmpireBBC NewsParliament of the United KingdomHansardHansard 1803–2005Public WhipTheyWorkForYou2006 Liberal Democrats deputy leadership electionMatthew Taylor