ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Search for 100 Peers: Stanley Johnson

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. 40: Stanley Johnson

A reader from Surrey writes:

"Since Mayor Boris stood down as MP for Henley on his election to run  London last summer, Parliament has been without a member of the Johnson family - something which could be put right by nominating his father, Stanley, to the House of Lords.

"However, Stanley shouldn't be there on account of being his son's father, but in his own right as a Conservative politician with a wealth of life experience to contribute to the proceedings of the Upper House.

"Having worked at the World Bank and the European Commission in the 1970s, he was a Conservative MEP for one term between 1979 and 1984 and unsuccessfully sought election to the Commons in Teignbridge in 2005.

"His wealth of expertise is centred around his interest in animal welfare and the environment, about which he has written a number of books and won plaudits aplenty. He is currently an Ambassador for the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species and has travelled across the world pursuing these interests.

"His presence in the Lords would add great value - and humour - to its deliberations."

Stanley is probably the most spritely 68-year-old I know and I think it would be tremendous to see him in the House of Lords. You can read more about his life and work on his website.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Dame Marion Roe

Search for 100 Peers: Dame Marion Roe

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. 39: Dame Marion Roe

Walaa Idris writes:

"I nominate a selfless, devoted pillar of the community, Dame Marion Roe, who vacated her commons seat in 2005 to make way for young blood, but continues to work tirelessly for a number of causes both social and political.

"Dame Marion was Conservative Member of Parliament for Broxbourne between 1983 and 2005, and briefly served as an Environment Minster in Margret Thatcher’s Government. She chaired both the Health Select Committee and the Administration Committee during her 22 years in the House of Commons and was also joint vice-chairman of the 1922 committee.

"Before entering Parliament, she served as a Bromley councillor and spent nine years on the Greater London Council.

"When she stepped down from Parliament, she did not put her feet up or slow down, but continued to help, support and make a difference daily to people's lives. She founded and lunched “the Roe Project” - a mentoring and public speaking programme developed to help candidates overcome public speaking anxiety - and continued with other community undertakings.

"After over 30 years of public service, Dame Marion still has tons to offer to Conservatives and the country at large. I would love to see her sitting on our side of the Lords."

> Previous nomination: Sir Robert Balchin

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Robert Balchin

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. 38: Sir Robert Balchin

A reader from London writes:

"I’d like to nominate Sir Robert Balchin, the Conservative educationalist and Pro-Chancellor of Brunel University. Sir Robert was a key adviser to Margaret Thatcher and John Major in government, and as Chairman of the Grant Maintained Schools Council did more than almost anyone else in those years to advance the cause of school freedom.  Since the Conservatives have been in Opposition, he has remained an adviser to successive Shadow Education teams as Chair of the Education Commission and President of the Conservative National Education Society.

“In 2005 David Cameron asked him to chair a review of Special Needs provision, and his Commission’s reports have continued to inform policy in this area.  There are precious few Conservative-leaning education experts, and Sir Robert is rumoured to have turned down overtures to join New Labour’s big tent when others gave into temptation and were bought off with peerages or advisory positions in Tony Blair’s government.  He has been a teacher and lecturer and has many charitable interests, as Founder Chairman of The English Schools Orchestra and of the League of Mercy, a charity which encourages and recognises voluntary work in caring for the sick.

“Many believe he would be a perfect candidate to become a reforming minister in the next Conservative Government, bringing his years of expertise and passion for raising education standards to bear on state education."

> Previous nomination: John Marshall

Search for 100 Peers: John Marshall

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. 37: John Marshall

A reader from North London writes:

"I would like to nominate John Marshall who has had a long and distinguished political career as a Councillor, MP, MEP and now Mayor of Barnet.

"John lost his parliamentary seat in 1997 during the well documented dark times for the Conservative Party, but not once has he stopped in his efforts to keep the party flag flying.  He works tirelessly not only for his residents in the Hampstead Garden Suburb and Barnet as Mayor, but also for the Finchley and Golders Green Conservative Association of which he is the President and in the schools where he is a governor.

"Outside of politics John is very committed to his charitable work - notably for the North London Hospice - and he has raised a substantial amount of money over the years. I think he would be an excellent Peer of the Realm and a great asset to the Party in the Lords."

A one-time councillor in Aberdeen and Ealing, Cllr Marshall was MEP for London North between 1979 and 1989, and then MP for Hendon South between 1987 and 1997, before being elected to Hendon council in 1998. A former stock broker, he is now a financial journalist.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Sir Reg Empey

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Reg Empey

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

Search for 100 Peers: Jill Kirby

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. 35: Jill Kirby

A reader from London writes:

"I would like to nominate Jill Kirby, the Director of the Centre for Policy Studies.  Not only has she done a fantastic job moving the CPS ahead, she is a long standing writer and national expert on family and welfare issues. She is just the sort of thoughtful and considered person we should be appointing to the Upper House.

"For the last six years Jill has been putting the case for families with Broken Hearts: family decline and the consequences for society in 2002, Choosing to be different: women, work and the family in 2003, The Price of Parenthood in 2005, The Nationalisation of Childhood in 2006 and Who do they think we are? in 2008.  She has also found time to serve on the Conservative's Tax Reform Commission and was also a Consultant to Renewing One Nation, the social affairs unit at Conservative Central Office.

"It's not just about Jill's work - it's also about her impact.  Jill is a game changer.  Her work on family issues (particularly Broken Hearts and The Price of Parenthood has changed significantly the terms of the debate on the interaction between family and the tax/benefits system. When first published in 2002, this was seen as the preserve of the green ink brigade. Now it is mainstream - at the heart of modern Conservative Party thinking. Even the Labour Government has started to understand that extra support for single parent families creates perverse and damaging incentives.

"A lawyer by training, Jill's rare combination of legal background, forensic examination of deep social and governmental trends, her strong conservative principles and her dispassionate yet forceful delivery is unique – and one which would be of great value in a reforming chamber."

> Previous nomination: Edward Lister

Search for 100 Peers: Edward Lister

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. 34: Edward Lister

Dominic Schofield writes:

"My nomination goes to Cllr Edward Lister, the Leader of Wandsworth Borough Council in London.

"Edward has led one of Britain’s best performing local authorities for over a decade. In that time, he has continued to drive the delivery of quality services and still charge the lowest council tax in the country.

"The Conservatives stormed to power in Wandsworth Town Hall in the late 70s.They held power during the 80s in the face of bitter Labour opposition and challenge, and have continued in power with ever larger majorities. In the 90s and 2000s, Conservative rule in Wandsworth has resisted the temptation to ‘consolidate’, but continued to seek improvement.

"Edward’s leadership is one marked by the constant search for improvement and further innovation across all areas. I would draw particular attention to the Borough’s outstanding Housing Department, which is unrivalled for the maintenance of its estates, for its efforts to tackle yobbish behaviour and crime, and support community initiative and endeavour. Five years ago, they turned disused space on estates into flats under the Hidden Homes Initiative. At every election, the Conservatives have strengthened their position – even though at the 1997 and 2001 elections the Borough returned three Labour MPs.

"Edward would make an outstanding contribution to Parliament’s Upper House. As one of London’s longest serving and most effective civic leaders, his contribution to debate and policy would be wide-ranging. His sharp mind and endearing manner would be an asset as we steer legislation through Parliament to repair the ‘broken society’ and rebuild civic institutions.

"In light of the recent splash of slease, the Upper House needs new peers like Edward, who with outstanding track records and experience outside Westminster, would do much to restore the reputation for probity, reasoned debate and integrity that the House of Lords traditionally has held."

> Previous nomination: Sir Jonathan Sacks

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Jonathan Sacks

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. 33: Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks

A reader from Surrey writes:

"I have a slightly left-field nomination for the House of Lords: Sir Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi.

"I wouldn't expect him to take the Tory whip - most likely he'd sit as a Cross Bencher - but he is one the most interesting social commentators out there, would help promote the social justice agenda and show that David Cameron is taking the role and independence of the Upper House seriously.

"He would be a thoughtful, insightful and important contributor to any legislative debate, and that, ultimately, should be what appointments are all about: one of the most serious errors of the Blair/Brown years has been to reduce the quality of legislation. David Cameron must not repeat this mistake, but should look to improve the quality (and reduce the quantity?) of legislation. Sir Jonathan's appointment to the House of Lords would be a good start to that process."

Sir Jonathan is one of several distinguished figures to have featured in this series on the basis of being a likely nominee to the Cross Benches who has a conservative world view. It is worth noting that he was the only religious figure to feature in last year's Daily Telegraph Top 100 Right-Wingers (at Number 30).

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Ashley Dearnley

Search for 100 Peers: Ashley Dearnley

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. 32: Ashley Dearnley

Marilyn Hopkins writes:

"I would like to nominate Councillor Ashley Dearnley, leader of Rochdale Council Conservative Group. He has kept the Conservative Party’s profile high and is respected and liked by all his colleagues at Rochdale Town Hall. 

"First elected a Councillor at the tender age of 21, he has held his seat for 29 years, (no mean feat in Rochdale!). He was Mayor of Rochdale 2005-6, and is a true gentleman, with high ethics. Ashley was on the board of Springhill Hospice for 8 years, was the founder member of “Shopmobility” in Rochdale and has been a governor of both St Andrew’s C of E (30 years) and St Mary’s Roman Catholic schools (26 years). He instigated the 6th Form at Wardle High School which was opened in 1995 with a special event held by the Headmaster in Ashley’s honour for all the hard work he had done to bring it about.

"Among his many other commitments, he is on the Diversity Committee and has worked very hard to help the various ethnic minority groups in Rochdale. He is invited to, and attends many of their events. Ashley has spent most of his adult life promoting the Party with dignity and an unmistakable loyalty that people of all political persuasions have recognised and respected.

"He would be a great asset to the House of Lords. He is ordinary and unassuming, but wise and experienced, honourable and incorruptible and, in a lot of people's opinion would be an excellent Peer of the Realm."

> Previous nomination: Patience Wheatcroft

Search for 100 Peers: Patience Wheatcroft

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. 31: Patience Wheatcroft

Laura Sandys writes:

"I do not know of anyone who would be better suited to the House of Lords than Patience Wheatcroft.

"Who better could we have in the Lords than someone who has been an editor of a national newspaper [the Sunday Telegraph], held the Government to account through her columns, been the bain of Gordon Brown’s life when business editor of the Times and then called in to help clean up the mess left by Ken Livingstone at City Hall. Boris recently described her as a 'pit-bull of probity'.

"With a journalistic nose for knowing what just doesn’t sound true, for her business experience both as a journalist and as a business woman, with her extensive experience of the voluntary sector – and having been an active Conservative all her life, not least as the wife of a former Conservative councillor – what better qualifications could we want?

"I would vote for Baroness Wheatcroft of Probity!"

> Previous nomination: Patrick Nicholls

Search for 100 Peers: Patrick Nicholls

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. 30: Patrick Nicholls

A reader writes:

"I am writing to you in response to  your appeal for suggestions as to who David Cameron should nominate as Conservative working peers after the next election.

"I wish to put forward the name of  Patrick Nicholls, who was from 1983 to 2001 the Member of Parliament for Teignbridge.

"During his time in the House, Patrick served as an Employment Minister and an Environment Minister under Lady Thatcher, a Vice Chairman of the Party under John Major and as a Shadow  Minister for both Agriculture and Culture, Media and Sport under William Hague.

"Even though he has been out of the House of Commons for eight years, Patrick is still only in his late 50’s. He is now a respected freelance journalist, and writes and lectures extensively here in Europe and America. He has boundless energy and enthusiasm for the Conservative cause and a deep love and knowledge of Parliament.

"In short, he has a range of talents and accomplishments that would make him an ideal working peer."

> Previous nomination: Sir Stephen Sherbourne

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Stephen Sherbourne

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. 29: Sir Stephen Sherbourne

A reader from London writes:

"I would like to nominate Sir Stephen Sherbourne, who has held a number of positions in Tory politics over the years.

"He is best known for having been Margaret Thatcher's political secretary at Number Ten between 1983 and 1988, and more recently was Michael Howard's Chief of Staff between 2003 and 2005. But te also worked for Edward Heath after he relinquished the party leadership in 1975 and for John Major during the 1992 general election.

"After stints as a teacher and at a merchant bank, he worked at the Conservative Research Department and was a Special Adviser at the Department for Industry in the early 1980s. After leaving Number Ten, he worked at Bell Pottinger and was a main board director of its holding company, Chime Communications. Since 2005 has been working in his own communications business.

"He does not have a Tory enemy in the world, is universally liked across the party and would have much to contribute to the House of Lords."

Sir Stephen is also on the policy advisory board of the Social Market Foundation.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Ruth Dudley Edwards

Search for 100 Peers: Ruth Dudley Edwards

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. 28: Ruth Dudley Edwards

A reader writes:

"Ruth Dudley Edwards, born in Dublin, has been one of the most persistent critics of Irish Republicanism and an unlikely champion of the Ulster Unionists.  She first came to prominence as an award-winning biographer of Patrick Pearse; since then, as a historian, she has turned her attention to diverse subjects as official historian of 'The Economist' and historian of the Orange Order.

"She is now known for her forthright columns in the Irish and British press, in which she turns her attention to a wide variety of causes.  Her satirical crime novels have poked fun at the British establishment, including the House of Lords itself, but, as a Peer, she would be sure to show the same determination and commitment as the admirable heroine of these novels, Baroness Troutbeck.

"It is unlikely that Ruth would be comfortable being labelled a Conservative, but she is sure to stand up against political correctness, the excesses of the EU, and would be a firm supporter of the moderate Unionist cause."

As has been the case with at least one previous nomination, this nominee would probably prefer to sit as a Crossbencher rather than as a Conservative, but I think she fits the overall mould of having a conservative world view. You can read her recent journalism on her website.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Dr Prem Sharma

Search for 100 Peers: Dr Prem Sharma

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. 27: Dr Prem Sharma

Humphry Crum Ewing writes:

"All those who have met, and come to know, Dr Prem Sharma will, I believe, share my view that his nomination by the Conservative Party to a place in the House of Lords would be abundantly justified. He is someone who, having come to make his home in this country, personifies the belief which he proclaims, that those who do so should participate to the full in our national life.

"His commitment and successes in unresting and continuing work for the broader community are remarkable. Together they amount to an admirable record of public service, with, undoubtedly, more still to come. He has undertaken valuable voluntary public service and directly charitable activity and has at the same time worked to advance trade and investment. What follows should be seen as an indicative rather an exhaustive catalogue of his interests and good works and of the causes and organisations which he has supported.

"At the top of his current agenda is the Things Do Change Programme directed to 11 – 19 year olds in schools, madrassas and youth groups and already being mounted by the Calderdale Council Community Services. This is a training programme that aims to prevent violent extremism among young people and to encourage tolerance and community cohesion.

"He is the founder-Chairman of the India Development Trust, a UK registered charity established in 1994; Chairman (since 1999) of the Governing & Advisory Council of the Shiva Institute of Management Studies (India) and (since 2002) of the Governing & Advisory Council of Halifax College (Harrow, Leicester and Edinburgh).

"Locally he has served as a school governor, as the elected chairman of the Patient Care panel of the Royal Berkshire & Battle Hospital Trust and since 1990 of his local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.

"Before moving to this country he contributed his skills as a Veterinary Surgeon and Chartered Biologist  to the regional Government of Kano Nigeria (as Permanent secretary for Agriculture) and as Project director of various World Bank-funded projects in Saudi Arabia.. Since coming to live in the UK he has worked closely with several Government Departments.

"Pursuant to his belief in participating fully in our national life he has given extensive service to the Conservative Party – the party of his choice. His credentials as a Conservative at both the national level and, more particularly the local level, are indeed notable.

"As his successor as President of the Reading East Constituency Conservative Association I can speak on behalf of all our members in recognising the contribution he has made since his first election to our Executive Council 32 years ago in 1977. He has served as Vice Chairman, Chairman and President, and has since been appointed to the specially created office of Honorary Life President.

"Between August 1998 and August 2001 he was Chairman of the Conservative Party’s Berkshire Area, having previously served as a member of the Executive Committee of the former Wessex Area. At a national level he was an elected member of the Executive Committee of the National Union from 1990 to 1995; he has been Founder Patron and a Committee member of the Conservative Parliamentary Friends of India since 2001 and of the European Parliamentary Friends of India since 2003."

Dr Sharma is also an honorary advisor to the British Asian Conservative Link, on whose website you can read more about his activities in the fields of politics, charity and public and community service.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Lurline Champagnie

Search for 100 Peers: Lurline Champagnie

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. 26: Lurline Champagnie

Andrew Rosindell MP writes:

"It is my profound pleasure to recommend Councillor Lurline Champagnie for appointment to the House of Lords. Professionally and politically, Lurline has a pioneer track record of leadership, empowerment and success through hard work.

"She came to the UK from the West Indies in the 1950s, initially working as a secretary.  Seeking a caring profession, she undertook State Nursing Qualifications and had an extremely successful career of service to the NHS.  She won an International Nursing Scholarship to the USA and ran her own successful healthcare business.

"Lurline is an individual possessed of great energy, humour, strong opinion and iron-will. At her first Conservative Conference in October 1984, she raised the whole tone of the debate on the NHS with a rousing oratory and was a prominent helper of casualties at the Brighton Bombing that year.

"In 1985, she sprang to natural prominence in her conference speech in which she declared “I am Conservative, Black, British and proud of all three”.  This was picked up by national and international media and recorded for posterity.  She continued as a frequent speaker at Party Conferences, UK-Wide Events, TV debates including Question Time, and radio programmes including Any Questions.  She is known as a veteran of Conservative principles and is the only non-MP recorded in the BBC cassette of “Great Political Speakers”.

"Lurline began her political career when she was elected as a councillor of London Borough of Harrow, 1986.  It is a testament to her care for her constituents that she is re-elected with ever-increasing majorities and was the runner-up for Britain’s Mayor of the Year Award in 2005. She fought the Labour-held parliamentary seat of Islington North in 1992.

"Her politics is a shade of True Blue.  She is a loyal Conservative, patriot and common-sense politician.  Lurline has been vocal in her opposition to political correctness as a divisive force and advocated a new inclusive approach, ‘The Cosmopolitan Community’, during her nomination for the Mayor of London candidacy.  Her manifesto set out many other clear policies that no doubt influenced other candidates.  After the primary, she threw her full support behind Boris Johnson and was active in campaigning for him across the capital.

"Lurline is currently appointed to the Government Equalities Office as a BAME Taskforce member to encourage more minority women into politics and public life. She is one of the only two Tories on a Labour-dominated task force.

"It is common for us to appoint famous faces to the Upper House, but Lurline is a true public servant who I know will work tirelessly for our country.  She will bring her front-line experience of the NHS and small businesses together with her rare ability to connect with people from all walks of life.  These, and her trademark loyalty to the party, make her an ideal candidate for a peerage."

> Previous nomination: Simon Mort

Search for 100 Peers: Simon Mort

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. 25: Simon Mort

Steve Bell writes:

"I would like to nominate Simon Mort for the following reasons.

"There are few who could have shown more loyal service and dedication to the Conservative party than Simon Mort. He has been part of the grassroots for over three decades and has held every voluntary appointment from Branch Chairman to President of the National Convention.

"He leads by example. He has integrity, intelligence, wisdom, boundless energy and he is not afraid to speak his mind. He served for four years on the Board in critical roles, at a time when the Party’s fortunes were turned around, and was Chairman of the notably successful Blackpool Conference.

"He has helped ensure that the Conservative message gets spread well beyond the meeting rooms of Whitehall. He has held party responsibilities in important regions from Lands End to Berwick-on-Tweed. Plus, he has a long and distinguished record within the Oxfordshire Conservatives, where he defended the Conservative Oxford City Council reputation during the 1990s, a difficult time for Party.

"He is a faithful proven fighter, an unsung hero should be given a voice in the Lords."

> Previous nomination: Stuart Wheeler

Search for 100 Peers: Stuart Wheeler

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. 24: Stuart Wheeler

Daniel Hannan MEP writes:

"When Stuart Wheeler made the biggest ever single donation to the Conservative Party, he mentioned, en passant, that he would turn down a peerage if offered one.

"I’d say that attitude recommends him eloquently for the Upper House. Given what we now know of how Lords do business, the desire for a peerage ought in itself to disqualify someone from receiving one.

"As things stand, peerages tend to go to careful men, cautious men, men who wait until everyone else has spoken before they express a view. Stuart Wheeler, who made his money by popularising spread-betting, is a living antidote to timid careerism. He has a largeness of character, one aspect of which is his extraordinary generosity. While wealthy, he is by no means super-rich; yet he quietly supports a large number of charities, free-market think-tanks and Euro-sceptic pressure groups.

"Last year, he went to court over the Government’s abandonment of its promised referendum on the European Constitution Lisbon Treaty. Although his suit was eventually rejected, he succeeded in delaying British ratification until after the Irish referendum and, in so doing, helped secure Ireland’s “No” vote. Had he not won his application for a judicial review, the last three days of the Irish campaign would have been dominated by the news that even the Euro-sceptic Brits had accepted the treaty. The action was typical of its author: quixotic, patriotic and ultimately successful.

"Stuart Wheeler is a modest man, and he won’t thank me for brandishing putative honours at him. Like Caesar on the Lupercal, he will doubtless decline the coronet. But we should press it down upon his brow regardless, my friends. His country needs him."

> Previous nomination: Sir Graham Bright

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Graham Bright

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. 23: Sir Graham Bright

A reader from Bedfordshire writes:

"I would like to nominate Sir Graham Bright because of his record of lengthy and loyal service to the Conservative Party, not to mention the wealth of experience he has as both a politician and businessman.

"Sir Graham served as a Borough and County Councillor in Essex between 1966 and 1979, before becoming an MP by gaining Luton East from Labour at the 1979 general election. After constituency boundary changes, he transferred to Luton South, where he served as an MP for a total of 18 years. He held a number of roles during his time in the Commons, notably as PPS to John Major between 1990 and 1994 and as a Vice-Chairman of the Party.

"Since leaving Parliament, Sir Graham has devoted countless hours of his time to the voluntary Party and currently serves as Eastern Region Chairman. This dedication and service alone merits a place in the House of Lords but when you add to it more than 30 years' experience in politics and a wealth of business experience, you can begin to understand why some would argue he should be in the Lords already.

"I am sure that those who do not know Sir Graham (and there cannot be many in our Party) would agree with this nomination based on his record alone. I for one would be glad to see him back in Parliament."

> Previous nomination: Don Porter

Search for 100 Peers: Don Porter

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. 22: Don Porter CBE

Conor Burns writes:

"Someone seeking membership of either House of Parliament must have more than a passing interest in the political party they are seeking to serve.  One man who has a whole career of service to the party and has used it always to advance the cause of the party and not himself is Don Porter.

"First becoming involved as a YC in Macclesfield he was active at Lancaster University in the 1970s.  He has held almost every post possible in the voluntary party being a former Branch Treasurer, Association Treasurer and Chairman in Woking. He was a founded member of the South Eastern Area Training Team, a former Area Treasurer and Southern Region Coordinator.

"He was President of the National Conservative Convention until 2004 and chaired the Party Conference in 2003 in Blackpool. Since March 2006, he has been Chairman of the National Conservative Convention and Deputy Chairman of the Party. Don has always been a staunch advocate for the rights of the ordinary members of the party but has always made his arguments in private and without disloyalty.

"However, years of party service should not, these days, be merit alone to warrant a peerage. But Don combines real work for the party with a distinguished career in the private sector. He joined British Airways in 1977 as a management trainee and worked on establishing the airline's world wide customer service monitor, covering all parts of the business. Between 1983 and 1985, Don played a major role in the development of British Airways' company-wide Customer Service programme working closely with Sir Colin Marshall, the airline's Chief Executive. Following this role, Don was appointed to head up the airline's Sales and Marketing Training Department.

"Don joined Lloyds Bank in 1986 as Chief Manager, Corporate Communications. In 1988, Don co-founded MSB, a leading management consultancy in the areas of culture change, customer service and people development. He remains as Joint Managing Director today.

"Don Porter's service to the Conservative Party combined with his vast commercial experience would make him a huge asset to our team in the House of Lords and there would be no doubt that Don would be a proper 'working' peer in every sense of the word. He is also one of the most honest and decent people involved in politics."

I happily second everything Conor says above. Don would truly be an asset to the party in the Upper House.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Brian Walden

Search for 100 Peers: Brian Walden

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. 21: Brian Walden

A reader from London writes:

"Brian Walden is best known to those old enough to remember Mrs Thatcher as PM as a (much less rude) Sir Robin Day or "Jeremy Paxman of the 1980s" as presenter of television's Weekend World. His political journey started as President of the Oxford Union and then as a 1964 freshman MP for an older New Labour Party, after Harold Wilson's "white heat of technology" rhetoric defeated 13 years of Conservative rule.

"Brian trailblazed the now common path of MP to media star and political realignment from the left to right. Weekend World on a Sunday lunchtime became THE television interview show for Cabinet Ministers and their Opposition numbers to pit their wits against Brian. His razor sharp questioning reached its zenith after the 1987 General Election when Cabinet Minister John Biffen's career visibly imploded in front of viewers' eyes when he suggested in one unguarded comment that Mrs Thatcher should be a bit less radical and "consolidate power": his political career never recovered.

"Unlike many modern politicians, Brian has also had a successful business career and is reputedly one of the few "grey-haired" figures whose opinions David Cameron genuinely values. As such, he has spoken at several away days for the shadow cabinet and Conservative MPs."

In February 2007, Mr Walden declared David Cameron to be "a superb leader" and that he "deserves" to win the next general election.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Professor Karol Sikora

Search for 100 Peers: Professor Karol Sikora

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. 20: Professor Karol Sikora

Simon Chapman writes:

"I nominate Professor Karol Sikora, a cancer specialist and indefatigable advocate for healthcare reform. He would provide welcome radicalism in an area of policy where the party looks just a little timid.”

"He’s got immense experience, his commitment to patient care cannot be questioned, and he is a well-informed and consistent advocate of the need for wholesale reform of healthcare delivery."

Professor Sikora is a member of the steering committee of Doctors for Reform and, as the details on his own website demonstrate, has a wealth of experience in his field. He is currently Medical Director of CancerPartnersUK, Professor of Cancer Medicine and honorary Consultant Oncologist at Imperial College School of Medicine, Scientific Director of Medical Solutions Plc and was recently appointed Dean of Britain’s first independent Medical School at the University of Buckingham.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield

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. 19: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield

A reader from Cambridgeshire writes:

"If David Cameron is keen to see more Conservatives - or at least Conservative-minded people - from Northern Ireland in Parliament, even in the Lords, then he should not overlook Sir Kenneth Bloomfield.

"It is surprising that he is not in the Lords already: a former Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Sir Ken has been intimately involved in the politics of the province since the 1960s, and he has also served as Victims Commissioner and as a Governor of the BBC.

"Although now in his seventies, Sir Ken has recently become one of the greatest champions of the grammar school system in Northern Ireland, assuming the role of one-man opposition to the excesses of the Executive.

"That might work against him in the eyes of the present Conservative leadership, and Sir Ken would probably not regard himself as a Tory, but he stands for good common sense - something which all Conservatives should appreciate."

As a former senior civil servant, it is indeed unlikely that Sir Kenneth would take the Conservative whip, but there have always been Cross-benchers sympathetic to a Conservative worldview and as such we are happy to include such individuals in this series.

Jonathan Isaby

> Yesterday's nomination: Sir Desmond de Silva QC

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Desmond de Silva QC

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. 18: Sir Desmond de Silva QC

Conor Burns writes:

"As a chamber of Parliament suited to allowing people from outside politics to make a contribution, I can think of few individuals more qualified to serve as a Member of the House of Lords.

"Sir Desmond de Silva QC was knighted in 2007 for services to international law, having been the first person from the UK to have been appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations to head up an international criminal tribunal.  In this role he carried the rank of Under Secretary General of the UN.

"Originally from Sri Lanka, Sir Desmond was the first Asian Queen's Counsel in England and has been head of his Chambers for 23 years.

"Despite his vast experience beyond politics, Sir Desmond held elected office from 1980 to 1995 serving on the Corporation of London and has been involved in the party in the past through the Centre for Policy Studies and the Bow Group.

"A loyal Conservative who has excelled in his profession, Sir Desmond would be a distinguished contributor to the debates in the Lords, not least on international law, post-conflict resolution and on David Cameron's pledge to introduce a Bill of Rights."

> Yesterday's nomination: Tony Caplin

Search for 100 Peers: Tony Caplin

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. 17: Tony Caplin

A reader from London writes:

"Tony Caplin is a business turnaround expert, well known in the City, who has given a significant amount of his time in support of the public sector and the Conservative Party over recent years.  He was appointed Chairman of the investment bank, Panmure Gordon, in May 2008, having served on the Board as a non-executive director for a number of years. He has helped numerous companies on the road to success and has also held a number of senior management positions with Manchester News Ltd and Pacific Telesis, amongst others.

"He worked for Sir Ian MacGregor at First City Bank, of which time he once remarked: "Sir Ian suggested we do turnaround, workouts, and difficult situations. With Sir Ian as Chairman and I as Chief Executive we tried to save small pieces of corporate UK."  In the current economic climate, his skills have an obvious appeal.

"He is currently chairman of North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and previously held the same role at Ealing, which became one of the most improved hospitals in the country under his leadership.

"Prior to the last election, Tony worked tirelessly to put together the team which delivered the James Review identifying government waste, exhibiting the energy levels which led Sir Ian to once remark: "Tony, when everyone else has fallen down, you are always still standing."  Shortly after the election, Tony voluntarily served in CCHQ as a senior advisor to the Party Chairman, drawing on his network to bring in professional financial and HR leadership, and drive corporate disciplines into the organisation.

"While another specific programme of efficiency savings is not currently in vogue, his political, public and private sector experience in government, not to mention his drive and determination to fix our broken economy, would be invaluable to the upper House."

> Yesterday's nomination: Matthew Parris

Search for 100 Peers: Matthew Parris

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

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Simon Milton

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. 15: Sir Simon Milton

A reader from London writes:

"If you ask anyone across the political spectrum who they would nominate as THE outstanding local government leader in living memory, one name comes up time and time again: Simon Milton.

"In twenty years on Westminster City Council he overcame the Private Eye magazine label of being one of Dame Shirley Porter's "boot boys" during the "Homes for Votes" scandal to develop - during nearly a decade as the council's leader - a genuine vision for City Government in the 21st Century.

"Simon has never been an ideological figure. Although originally from the Right, as a council leader he was very much a One Nation Tory and was famously quoted as saying "there is little difference between running Newham or Westminster". He pragmatically reminded more Right-wing colleagues that local government was about providing excellent public services within the framework of the then prevailing New Labour hegemony and not simply slashing taxes. He is reputedly a favourite figure of both the former Deputy PM John Prescott (who may have been behind his knighthood) and Gordon Brown - as well as David Cameron.

"In autumn 2007 he joined the "Back Boris" campaign as a senior adviser and was rewarded in May 2008 with his appointment as a Mayoral adviser (resigning as a Westminster Councillor) and then Deputy Mayor. Within weeks he showed his political clout by out-manoeuvring the alleged "power hungry" Chief of Staff to the Mayor, Tim Parker.

"A former chairman of the Local Government Association to boot, he would be an excellent addition to the Conservative benches in the House of Lords."

> Yesterday's nomination: Andrew Roberts

Search for 100 Peers: Andrew Roberts

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. 14: Andrew Roberts

Paul Oakley writes:

"Expelled from Cranleigh for vandalism, Andrew Roberts went on to become an honorary senior scholar at Gonville and Caius College. He experienced the real world of corporate finance before writing acclaimed biographies of Halifax and Salisbury. An enthusiastic Churchillian, his recent researches in the Cambridge Archives disclosed unconsidered War Cabinet documents which give new insights to the challenges of 1941.

"He has pointed out that the Empire was not, overall, a Bad Thing and is thus attacked by the left as a revisionist. Nevertheless, he has been unflinchingly critical of its failures, his devastating critique of Mountbatten's partition of India being the prime example.

"A trustee of the Margaret Thatcher Archive Trust, member of The Freedom Association Council and supporter of the Bruges Group, he would be a worthy successor to Lord Blake.

"I shall instruct him to write my biography in due course."

If understanding the past helps us to understand the present and future, then having an historian like Andrew Roberts in the Lords would only serve to improve the quality of debate and discussion in the Upper House. It shoud also be noted that he chaired the Conservative Party's Advisory Panel on the Teaching of History in Schools in 2005.

Jonathan Isaby

> Yesterday's nomination: Simon Wolfson

Search for 100 Peers: Simon Wolfson

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. 13: Simon Wolfson

Biodun writes:

"Simon Wolfson’s superb media performances in the last six months, most notably on Question Time, have shown him to be a clever, well-informed and gifted communicator.

"In 2001, aged 33, he became the youngest chief executive of a FTSE 100 company at Next.

"Apart from his wealth of experience as a businessman, he is also a committed campaigner against unnecessary EU regulation and was one of those who spearheaded the “Vote No” Campaign against the European Constitution which sponsored much of the lobbying that resulted in the Irish “No” against the Lisbon Treaty last year.

"He was a donor to David Cameron's leadership campaign and co-chaired the Economic Competitiveness Policy Group with John Redwood. Their findings informed George Osborne’s inheritance tax announcement during conference in 2007 - the one that ended the Brown bounce and left Labour trailing us in the polls.

"I would be glad to see him join his father and his cousin, Lords Wolfson of Sunningdale and Marylebone respectively on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords."

> Yesterday's nomination: Sir Tim Rice

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Tim Rice

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. 12: Sir Tim Rice

One man whom I have long thought would be great to have in the House of Lords is the lyricist, author and all-round good egg, Sir Tim Rice.

In 1997 his regular songwriting partner, Andrew Lloyd Webber, was appointed a Conservative peer - although he has not been the most regular of contributors in the Lords and has since distanced himself from the Tories. "It's hilarious that people think of me as aligned with Conservatives and Conservative peers," Lord Lloyd-Webber told the Daily Telegraph on 26th May 2007. "The fact is that I've voted for this Government more than I ever have the Conservatives."

Sir Tim, on the other hand, is a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative who was for many years an active President of his local Conservative Association in Richmond Park.

He has previously joked that his "Neanderthal views" put him out of kilter with David Cameron's Conservative Party. "There are far more votes to be gained from stern disapproval of global warming and renewing my massive subscription to the NHS than in escape from Europe and tax cuts," he wrote in The Spectator in February 2007.

But as far as I'm concerned, he is a Great British success story who would have much to contribute to the Upper House, and not just in the fields of culture, the arts, media and sport, where his expertise lies.

Jonathan Isaby

> Yesterday's nomination: Andy Street

Search for 100 Peers: Andy Street

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. 11: Andy Street

A reader writes:

"Andy Street read PPE at Oxford, where he was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association, but unlike many who then went straight into politics, he has had a real and successful life outside.

"
After leaving Oxford, he joined the John Lewis Partnership as a graduate trainee and has now risen to become Managing Director of this successful multi-billion pound retail group - the only retailer currently to be gaining market share in a recession.




"From around 16 until the age of 40 he worked with Birmingham Young Volunteers (BYV) taking, each year, deprived children nominated by Birmingham Social Services to Wales for adventure camps. He eventually became Chairman of BYV.



"Meanwhile, to keep fit, he drops Conservative leaflets in local elections to all the homes in his village and at the 1992 general election, he was unpaid agent to Damian Green in Brent East.

"Andy Street is the sort of successful and dynamic person our party needs in the Lords."

> Yesterday's nomination: Bob Edmiston