Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.
If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for
the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where
requested.
No. 16: Matthew Parris
Stephen Warwick writes:
"I would like to offer what I believe to believe an ideal candidate for selection as a true working peer and intellectual heavyweight: Times columnist, Matthew Parris.
"Like many people, I love reading Matthew Parris's columns and find him to be the incisive and balanced voice of 'natural conservatism' (aka common sense) and he is true testament that all the great wits in politics are generally Tories.
"Cambridge and Yale educated, he would bring genuine forensic analysis of legislative issues coupled with a real capability in getting to the nub of the problem.
"On the debit side of the ledger, would cyclist David Cameron nominate someone who advocated in his December 2007 column that: 'A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists'?
"I advocate Matthew Parris for this surely much deserved honour purely as a loyal and avid reader of many years standing. And just for the record, I can confirm that I do not know or have any connection with the future Lord Parris (of High Peak and Catalunya perhaps!)."
Although now best known for his journalism, Matthew Parris was of course a Conservative MP between 1979 and 1986, having worked for Margaret Thatcher when she was Leader of the Opposition. I should also add that he apologised for any offence caused by the remark about cyclists!
Jonathan Isaby
> Yesterday's nomination: Sir Simon Milton