This time last year we began a search for one hundred Conservative peers. This was on the basis that if David Cameron is elected Prime Minister, he will have every right to increase the strength of the Tory benches in the Upper House, since the number of Conservative peers - 189 out of a House of 706 - is now at an all-time low, a point Tim recently re-iterated.
In the first phase of the series we reached just over halfway and the list of those already nominated is below (Click here to see all the nominations).
We are planning to publish the second phase of nominations in the New Year, so now we are again seeking your suggestions.
As before, 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.
Those already nominated in the series are:
Howard Flight; Richard Balfe; Charles Moore; Richard Evans; Mimi Harker; Rod Bluh; Ruth Lea; Algy Cluff; Frederick Forsyth; Robert Edmiston; Andy Street; Sir Tim Rice; Simon Wolfson; Andrew Roberts; Sir Simon Milton; Matthew Parris; Tony Caplin; Sir Desmond de SIlva; Sir Kenneth Bloomfield; Professor Karol Sikora; Brian Walden; Don Porter; Sir Graham Bright; Stuart Wheeler; Simon Mort; Lurline Champagnie; Dr Prem Sharma; Ruth Dudley Edwards; Sir Stephen Sherbourne; Patrick Nicholls; Patience Wheatcroft; Ashley Dearnley; Sir Jonathan Sacks; Edward Lister; Jill Kirby; Sir Reg Empey; John Marshall; Sir Robert Balchin; Dame Marion Roe; Stanley Johnson; Janet Daley; Mike Whitby; Nirj Deva; Dominic Lawson; Angela Knight; Sir Andrew Green; Michael Dobbs; Eamonn Butler; Stanley Fink; Michael Burleigh; Madsen Pirie.
The list includes, among others, a number of businessmen, thinkers, civic leaders, former MPs and senior party activists, all with their own areas of experience and expertise. Whilst some of those new entrants to the Lords would be working peers contributing from the backbenches, there will also be those appointed with a view to serving in a ministerial capacity. We also previously included a few small-'c' conservatives whom we would not expect to take the Conservative whip, but whose world view was deemed worthy of being heard in the House of Lords.
We look forward to receiving your nominations.
Jonathan Isaby
