David Melding AM, CBE

David Melding AM, CBE has been a member of the National Assembly for Wales since its creation in 1999. Before entering politics David worked in the voluntary (not for profit) sector and was the Welsh director of a major UK campaigning charity. He was the Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly between 2011 and 2016.

Although his Party, the Conservatives, initially opposed the establishment of the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament, David has argued the case for a federal Britain as the best way forward – a major shift in Conservative thinking which is now gaining ground.

He is the author of Will Britain Survive Beyond 2020? and The Reformed Union: The UK as a Federation.

David has chaired several committees in the National Assembly: Standards of Conduct (2000-2002), Health and Social Services (2003-2006) Legislation (2006-2007) and the Audit Committee (2007-2009). He is a current member of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee.

When Director of Policy, Welsh Conservative Group, David was responsible for producing the Assembly Manifestos in 2003, 2007 and 2011. He is the founder of the Welsh Think Tank, Gorwel, the Welsh Foundation for Innovation in Public Affairs.

David was educated at Cardiff University (BscEcon) and the College of William and Mary, Virginia, USA (MA).


Bim Afolami MP

Bim is the eldest son of Nigerian and British parents, and was educated at Eton College, where he was an Oppidan scholar. He attended University College, Oxford, where he studied Modern History, where he was Vice President of the Oxford Union and played football for the University. Subsequently he spent almost a decade working in the City of London; first as a lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and then working in banking as a senior executive at HSBC. Bim was elected in June 2017 as Conservative MP for Hitchin and Harpenden. Bim is married to Henrietta, and they have three children.


Lisa Nandy MP

Lisa Nandy was elected as the Labour MP for Wigan since 2010. During her time in Parliament, Lisa has served on the front bench in a number of roles, including Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Shadow Children’s Minister and Shadow Minister for Civil Society.

Lisa is also the co-founder of the think tank Centre for Towns which was set up to ensure priority is given to the viability and prosperity of Britain’s towns.

Before entering Parliament, Lisa worked for the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint and The Children’s Society.