A British native, David has had a long career as MP for Wells. He served as an Assistant Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of the Treasury (Senior Whip), Under-Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Energy, Deputy Chief Whip (Treasurer to the Royal Household), Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Paymaster General HM Treasury, and a Privy Counsellor. David was also elected as one of the two UK Parliamentary Representatives to the Convention on the Future of Europe, which drafted the European Constitution and later published his pamphlet, The European Constitution and what it means for Britain. He has been a member of the European Scrutiny Committee since 2003 and in December 2005 he was appointed to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.