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. 36: Sir Reg Empey
A reader from Surrey writes:
"Given the impending link-up between the Conservatives and the Ulster Unionist Party, it would seem appropriate that Sir Reg Empey, the UUP leader, be a Conservative nominee to the House of Lords, where he would be able to sit alongside his predecessor, David Trimble.
"Sir Reg has a long history of political involvement in Northern Ireland stretching back to the 1960s and is currently minister for employment and learning on the Northern Ireland Executive. As such, given his duties on the Executive and in the Assembly, I don't imagine he would be seeking a seat in the Commons, but it would be useful to be able to call upon him and his expertise in the Lords from time to time.
"He is a two-time Lord Mayor of Belfast who has played a key role in UUP negotiating teams over the last two decades and he has a hinterland in the retail business to boot."
> Previous nomination: Jill Kirby
