David Heath was born on 16th March 1954 in Westbury-sub-Mendip, Somerset.
He attended Millfield School and went on to study at St John's College Oxford, (MA Physiological Sciences) and the City University, London. On leaving University in 1979, he went into practise as a registered optician.
His political career began in 1985, when he was elected to Somerset County Council as a Liberal, remaining on the county council continuously until May 1997. He served as Leader of the Council from 1985 to 1989, and leader of the opposition from 1989 to 1991. In 1989 he was awarded the CBE for political service.
In 1990-91 he worked as parliamentary consultant to the World Wide Fund for Nature, and in the 1992 general election contested Somerton and Frome Constituency for the first time. He served as Chairman of Avon and Somerset Police Authority from 1993 to 1996, and Chairman of Somerset County Council's Education committee in 1996-97. He was also vice chairman of the Association of County Councils 1994-97, and was a Member of the Audit Commission 1994-97. Since July 1997, he has been a Vice-President of the Local Government Association.
At the 1997 general election, he was elected as MP for Somerton and Frome. He was the Liberal Democrat frontbench spokesman on Foreign Affairs and then spokesman for Agriculture and Rural Affairs. He was also selected as the Liberal Democrat Member of the Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, and sits on the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe).
David is married and has two children aged 12 and 9. He lives in the heart of the constituency at Witham Friary between Frome and Bruton.
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