Sharron Davies is a formidable campaigner for women’s rights, often at huge cost to herself and her career. A former Olympic swimmer and BBC presenter, she was one of the first women to speak up about the unfairness of biological men competing in female sport. Her strength and resolve moved the dial on gender ideology in women’s sports and I am incredibly proud to have supported her when I was a minister.
Simon Heffer is not just one of the leading Conservative voices in British journalism, he is also one of our finest historians of modern Britain, whose life’s work has been to defend our history, our constitution and the values that built this country – exactly the qualities we need in the Lords.
These appointments share one thing in common. They are brave, principled Conservatives who have done real work standing up for our party’s values. Each of them has the courage and willingness to fight cultural and constitutional battles. And we are going to need them.
Our upper chamber is there to act as a backstop to a government making bad legislation or reneging on its promises to the British people.
While I’m angry about the economic vandalism this Labour Government is inflicting on our country, at least we can fix it. Far more worrying, is the irreversible damage they are doing to this country’s long-standing moral underpinnings.
Assisted dying. Legalising abortion up to full term. Getting rid of most juries. None of these were in the Labour Party’s manifesto, and yet in their first year in office they have tried to ram all of them through Parliament.
There are the kinds of things the House of Lords is there to scrutinise. To hit the brakes on and force ministers to think again.
Real Conservatives stand for something. They stick up for their values even when it’s hard or unpopular. Our appointments are about renewing our party with fresh thinking rooted in our principles.
But they are also about the battle for the soul of the country in a fragmented political landscape.
We need a team full of courage, experience, and ideological clarity who will stand up for Conservative values no matter what. That’s the team I’m building.”
December 29, 2025
Well, congratulations to Lord Redwood. He really is everything Kemi says and there are not many like him left.. And Bravo to Kemi Badenoch for her choices. Nigel Biggar told me she is a bon oeuf and he knows a thing or two about right and wrong.
December 29, 2025
I’d like to experiment with a third of the Lords being selected by lot, like juries (except the chosen could refuse to serve). They would be offered a very good deal to encourage them to give it a try, and serve up to 3 terms. A little like signing up for the military, once they had committed. There would be a few requirements to serve (English language skills, a certain IQ, no unspent convictions etc).
The reason would be to reduce patronage and diminish the hold of the Blob. 10% of the House are currently herediraries, so are somewhat random appointees. 3% are Spiritual. I’d get rid of both categories in my grand experiment. We could bring them back if it all went pear shaped.
Reply The hereditaries all go in 2026
December 29, 2025
Alas we lost one of the all to few good peers – Lord Matt Ridley a few years back.
December 29, 2025
I agree Matt Ridley is one of the very few intelligent people with common sense. Reform should take him on as Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation to replace Patrick Vallance.
December 29, 2025
Matt was initially in a panic about Covid 19. Wrote about the carved out stones on the moors where pennies were left in payment under water during the black plague.
As he is a biologist, unhelpful.
December 29, 2025
+1
December 29, 2025
reply to reply ….a shame compared to multiple gifted seats that ought to have gone first.
December 30, 2025
I would select people for the lords randomly, but would insist that they are properly British (far more stringent requirements than the way passports are handed out). I would restrict it to people who have paid more into society than they have had out during their adult years. I would appoint for life. I would abolish all government appointees.
December 29, 2025
Congratulations my Lord, about time too, and excellent that you will now have a formal platform for participating in public debate. Simon Heffer is also an excellent choice. I’m in the middle of his fine book the Age of Decadence, an account of the decades pre WW1.
December 29, 2025
His many books, )I have read several), seem excellent. Especially the one on E. Powell, Age of Decadence, Vaughan Williams, Staring at God…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Heffer
December 29, 2025
Heffer in a recent headline called ‘Trump a fascist’.
Who needs Starmer when Heffer can destroy Britain and with much more pomp, like Johnson he cites ancient Romans in Latin, which I’m sure makes up for the base stupidity.
December 29, 2025
My Lord,
I am beginning to warm to Kemi.
It’s about time The Conservative Party pushed Conservative values again…. You never know, some of the member the party haemorrhaged over the last few years may return. Of course the members and former members remained true to Conservative values, it was the Parliamentary Conservative MPs and advisors who became more of a lefty liberal bunch.
I for one would welcome a real Conservative Party again and a leader to repair the damage caused by Cameron, May et Al. Question is, have the PCP really changed? Will Kemi be strong enough to take those LibCons kicking and screaming back to a Conservative mind set? I wish her luck.
December 29, 2025
Why do we want that? Why split the vote on the right? We need one strong party to win a majority at the next GE. The Conservatives have rightly lost the trust of the electorate. How many chances do you want to give them? Surely you and Sir John can see that we only have one last chance to turn this country around. Anybody who loves this country needs to back Reform, even if they, as Nigel did in 2019, have to hold their noses and stand down to give Reform the chance it deserves.
December 29, 2025
The real question is have the PPC changed and can they ever convince the voters of this. I think not? When Major buried the Tories they were out for three terms and even then we had the Cameron. Coalition due to his wet lefty agenda though he and Osborne did promise £1m each IHT it remains at £325k now worth more like £200k!
December 29, 2025
The nation trusted the Conservatives to govern for 14 years. At the last election in July 2024, the manifesto was decisively defeated. Many experienced MP’s decided not to stand and many of those who did, lost their seats. After the chaos of the Johnson years, the rank mismanagement of the Chinese plague virus crisis, the grooming gangs scandal and the Party’s rejection of net zero – despite introducing it under the May government – the public wanted change.
Many middle of the road, one nation Tories chose to stay at home, or voted Reform, Labour or Lib Dem. The Party still has not properly analysed the reasons for the defeat, nor plotted an effective way forward back to power. The “rise” of Reform reflects the failure to stop the boat people and control immigration generally.
Good luck to Sir John in his new career in the Lords. However, we should remember that this un-elected body exists to allow vested interests, the bishops and the landed gentry to try and deny the will of our elected Parliament
December 29, 2025
An unusually accurate post from you today ‘Sakara’ Apart from the ‘net zero’ part. I’m confident the majority of voters have at last become aware of the madness of this policy and would welcome it’s demise.
December 29, 2025
There are no ‘landed gentry’ remaining.
This is not the House of the Natural Lords.
It’s politically appointed.
December 29, 2025
The text abbreviated to (Etc Ed) was probably done so owing to modesty.
December 29, 2025
If John Redwood has a fault he is perhaps rather too modest and a bit understated on his almost invariably correct views in some areas – but perhaps once safely ensconced in the Lords?
December 29, 2025
Well you can’t argue with her desire to say the right things Sir John. The point is it is deeds not just warm words we need. The damage to the economy she refers to is clear for all to see and with three more years before the next election who can say what awaits the next administration. Have you chosen your title name Sir John?
How will we refer to you going forward?
Reply I am still John Redwood. I have chosen a peerage title and am awaiting approval for it, and am waiting for a date when I can be admitted to the Lords.
December 29, 2025
reply to reply …but decided on flying your colours pretty clearly. Wasted on the majority of ‘your party officials’ they lost the plot years ago.
December 29, 2025
Sorry John, the conservatives did not uphold our values. Democracy was betrayed by unrestricted immigration, importing hundreds of thousands of Islamists who do not share our values and dislike our culture.
To function properly, democratic politics demands honesty, integrity and competence. We have been let down by both Tory and Labour governments in all these requirements. This betrayal undermines trust and is the reason for so much current discontent and anger.
December 29, 2025
I am reminded of Groucho Marx:
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.”
December 29, 2025
a mantra for the new Conservatives?
December 29, 2025
There are two basic issues: either our politicians do not understand what the public (reasonably) wants – reform of the incompetent and wasteful Civil Service, stop spaffing our money at ludicrous projects (eg Chagos, £400 billion on Quangos, HS2, Net Zero etc), more accountability in the public sector and so on) – or if they do, why don’t they have the guts to take the necessary action? We have been very evidently, and repeatedly, let down on both counts. Those predicting a serious backlash have the support of reason.
December 29, 2025
So Kemi Badenoch is now making the right noises. Does that mean the Conservative Party has been reborn? Has CCHQ been purged of the socialists pretending to be conservatives?
Bit soon I’d say to put confidence in the party that left office with nothing working except the cross-channel taxi service, who while in office piled tax and legislation onto business and oversaw ramping up of energy costs with their commitment to the net zero madness.
December 29, 2025
You quote Kemi using the phrase ‘fiscal conservatism’. Doesn’t she mean fiscal liberalism?
December 29, 2025
Whilst the party has too many yellow Tories, I can’t vote for them. Until Kemi roots them out, the Tories will have a problem.
As soon as they have any influence they will revert to type, pushing Europe, pushing Net Zero at a harmful pace etc. Labour is continuing a lot of Tory policies just on steroids. These policies are thanks to the yellow Tories.
This thorny issue needs to be grasped.
December 29, 2025
Jazz
Sadly I have to agree with you, Kemi speaks good words and I am sure wants to deliver, but i fear far too may weak willed liberal type Mp’s remain in the Party.
Happy to give her more time to convince me, but do we have the time ?
December 29, 2025
Yes, I shall also being watching closely to see what kind of “Conservative” candidate is proposed for your old seat Sir John come the next election. Any hint of “broad church” (or other Liberal tendency) and Kemi can say goodbye to my vote next time around. If I want a Lib Dem MP, it’s much simpler to just vote for Clive Jones and get a genuine clown rather than a pretend one in a blue tie.
December 29, 2025
The acid test is a purge of the yellow Tories, no purge no Conservative party.
December 29, 2025
I see that some panto actor (Christopher Biggins) has asked for the death penalty to be restored, this perhaps about the only topic I also disagree on with JR on (as did Enoch Powell)
Birmingham 6, Guilford 4, that Jill Dando chap and many others all wrongly convicted and then we have Lucy Letby whose 15 convictions are all clearly unsound and yet 6 of our finest appeal court judges have twice ruled against her even being given an appeal. I thing we would have to sort out our judges, police and justice system first!
Then again perhaps for some of those who pushed the net harm covid net harm gene therapies as safe and effective “vaccines” and those who are still trying to hide the stats on the deaths and vast harms they caused. Also perhaps for Axel Rudakubana.
More Chance of 2 Tier Kier introducing hard labour life sentences for Lucy Connolly types than for murderers! But not of course for that Kill the IDF ‘musician’ chant broadcast to millions on the BBC – insufficient evidence it seems!
Reply I do not seek the re introduction of capital punishment
December 29, 2025
No wrongly convicted.
After the witnesses are dead a rerun of the trial without them finds it has not enough evidence to find guilty.
But they NEVER declare the defendants are NOT GUILTY.
December 30, 2025
Convictions were unsafe, so not beyond reasonable doubt thus innocent in effect!
December 30, 2025
Not declared innocent. Without all the original evidence they could not replicate the ‘beyond a shadow of a doubt’ hurdle.
You saw guilty men overturn the justice system.
Hardly a reason to rejoice.
December 29, 2025
To reply good – and certainly not without a far, far better police judicial system. With Lucy Letby they made 15 wrong decisions. Quite some achievement even tossing a coin would have got 7 or 8 of them right on average! 15 wrong out of 15 and twice refused an appeal.
The jury are kept ignorant of old conviction so as not to prejudice justice but you can still charge someone with many offences at the same time which surely is equally prejudicial?
December 29, 2025
Kemi Badenoch is a good leader and has made fine choices for her Lords appointments but I cannot see how she can undo the lack of trust in the Conservatives which seems terminal.
December 29, 2025
Indeed. No matter what the Tory manifesto says at the next election there will be many who say, to coin a Mr Redwood phrase, ‘we don’t believe you’. It’s all very well making the right noises. Badenoch’s enthusiastic recall of James Cleverly to a key shadow cabinet post is not exactly encouraging to most potential conservative voters.
December 29, 2025
People will have to make a rational choice based on the info and options they have. at the next election the choice is highly likely again to be a Conservative govt or another Labour one. Hopefully those people who aren’t actually leftists but who didn’t at the last election vote Conservative where a Conservative candidate had a chance will do so next time.
December 30, 2025
Nope!
December 29, 2025
I tend to agree – to get re-elected they would have to win back trust thrown away for 14 years, but to win back trust they would need to be elected and actually at least try to deliver this time. A catch 22. She might do well to win even as few as 100 seats!
She surely has an almost impossible job! As an engineer (she claims) she should know that Net Zero is mad but she is still dithering. As is that half maths Oxon. graduate Coutinho.
December 30, 2025
It’s a political decision she has to make, not an engineering one. That’s why she’s dithering. The NaCP is being challenged by the Eco Nutter LibDems in the south.
December 29, 2025
You think that Heffer publicly naming the President of the USA as a ‘fascist’ is helpful? A good choice for the Lords?
Personally I’m horrified. This is just the latest in this pompous man’s extreme and wild outpourings.
December 29, 2025
That’s all very good, and I’m glad that Kemi Badenoch is doing far better for the Tories than another leader might have. She is quite persuasive, but until the Tories disown the WEF, give up any form of globalist agenda and come clean and apologise for the dire policies they put in place that labour have treacherously built on, many like me will not be voting for them.
They failed so miserably with BREXIT and the way covid was managed was a total disaster with so much confusion and misinformation from the top. They kicked off with loss of freedoms that HMG is now pursuing full blast.
Conservative values are what we want, which means it is also vital that all Tory MPs are true conservatives – vetting on this needs to be highly transparent and effective – we never needed a Tory party that was made up of so many left thinkers and that will always be the case.
December 29, 2025
At last there’s a Conservative leader who is thoughtful, principled and determined to examine policy choices carefully. For years we’ve been badly led by leaders making ill considered decisions resulting in costly and unachievable policies eg. Net Zero and HS2! Congratulations on your ennoblement Sir John. It’s long overdue.
December 29, 2025
Lord Redwood – I am pleased you still get a chance to say what we all want and I think your honour is well deserved. I am pleased that you maintain this daily digest, its a fabulous Conservative Outlet.
I recognise your loyalty to the conservative movement, but until conservatives are chosen as candidates and elected once more that movement has consigned its self to the history books.
Fine words from Kimi, but they are just words, her record as with all her team in office shouts the opposite
I live in hope of seeing the Conservatives in office, but ‘proven’ ConSocialists no chance. They have a baggage they cant shake off
December 29, 2025
“The three people we are sending into the Lords this week show exactly the kind of Conservatives Britain now needs.”
We needed those kinds of Conservatives in 2010 – 2024. Unfortunately, we got a bunch of lefty, Globalist LibCONs who thought Blair was the Messiah and who continued and accelerated his project to destroy our nation.
I’m prepared to believe that Kemi has “those values” although there is precious little evidence of it. I don’t believe that 80% of the Parliamentary CONservative Party share them.
December 29, 2025
Off Topic.
With rising rents, a tough job market and pay cheques stretched to the limit, some young Britons are choosing to build their futures overseas. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 195,000 people under the age of 35 moved abroad in the year to June. So where are they going, what are they doing – and will they ever come home?
When Ray Amjad graduated from the University of Cambridge a few years ago, he thought about staying in the historic city, but his head was soon turned. The 25-year-old, from Manchester, travelled to 20 different countries, working remotely in web design, and realised he could no longer see himself living back in the UK.
He moved to Tokyo last year under a two-year visa for top graduates and hopes to apply for permanent residency there in the future. “In my experience, the UK is losing too many talented young people,” he says.
“Japan is getting a good deal, really – we’re moving out here, fully formed, and they haven’t had to pay for our education or healthcare, growing up.”
Ray’s university friends have moved to Australia, South Korea and Hong Kong, with many citing the cost of living in the UK and lack of employment opportunities as factors.
December 30, 2025
This is just off shoring in reverse.
Only works for WfH jobs so we can expect these people to appear in the Civil service soon.
December 29, 2025
It takes time for a leader to have an impact, especially after such a thumping defeat. Kemi Badenoch is beginning to sound like a conservative leader, talking about conservative values. But what you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you say! In appointing three proper conservative to the Lords, especially Lord Redwood, Kemi’s actions are matching her words.
It is early days, and too many of her MPs are not true conservatives, but there is now hope for a true conservative revival. But Kemi needs to make sure the many potential conservative candidates do belive in, and have, true conservative values, so the wishy washy liberals will be pushed aside.
December 29, 2025
Bit of a misleading headline, those are not Conservative party values at all but rather Kemi Badenoch’s personal values – “fiscal conservatism” for example. The next leader after her could have entirely different values – indeed the one before her presided over a massive tax and spend programme which was anything other than fiscally conservative. That’s the problem, the Conservatives invite us to vote for them first then afterwards they decide what values they have and what policies they will adopt based on which rival camp is in power.
December 29, 2025
Obviously, nobody regularly posting here is going to disagree with these three appointments, in fact at least one was long overdue, since July 2024, in fact !
Does Kimi disagree with the concept of assisted dying ? This is a humane measure being obstructed by Luddites determined to render it ineffective, just like the hordes of Remainers who have neutered Brexit.
December 29, 2025
Congratulations to our host!
The elevation should have been immediately upon him leaving the HoC but at least it has now been done.
I look forward to his contributions in the HoL.
December 29, 2025
Where do we go from here ?
The Conservative party, despite the wise council of our host, made a complete mess of its last years in office, and millions, including me, have jumped ship to Reform which we see as far more likely to restore conservative values than the party that bears the name.
There is a serious risk that Nigel may not gain emough seats to prevent a nightmare coalition of the combined forces of the five parties of the left, who will be competing to present the most extreme policies at the next election.
Jacob R-M is correct : to prevent left wing nightmare, we simply HAVE to have a coalition agreement between Reform and the Comservative parties. It will need to be led by Nigel and Richard Tice, but will need the experience of former Conservative ministers, in both the Commons and the Lords for real credibility. A change of rhetoric is urgently needed from both parties.
December 29, 2025
You propose losing Reform voters (who want to snub the Tories) and Tory voters ( people who doubt Farage).
You even cite the lefts tactic which is to scoop up all the votes by party and cobble together a coalition after the event.
The left is evil but if they are cleverer than us, they will win, just at Ted Heath won.
December 29, 2025
Dear Mr. Redwood,
For what it is worth, I think Kemi Badenoch is making progress in establishing who the Conservatives are and what they stand for. Her performances at PMQ’s have been much improved of late.
However, there are too many MP’s who are simply not Conservative. Kemi is obviously aware of this. For example, she has stated that all Tory candidates must agree to the party’s policy of leaving the ECHR in order to stand as a MP. This is a red line for some current Conservative MP’s, as perhaps is the commitment to Net Zero (it was the Conservatives who passed the legislation). Might they just swallow their objections in order to stand for Parliament only to re-emerge and cause trouble later on?
Lack of trust is a big problem for the Tories. I see no reason yet to return to voting for them.
December 29, 2025
The Conservatives Party needs to SCRAP its Party List and attendant machinery.
ALL incumbents and Candidates must be presented for re selection and the Constituency Parties need to propose and select freely, and inform Central Office of their PPC. No scrapping of Constituency parties or counting of ‘minority candidates’. No deciding who cannot be a Tory member and therefore banning people from being selected – some constituency might desire Tommy Robinson and if that is their choice, they MUST be able to have him.
Until the Conservatives repent properly and allows us to sack at the traitors, they will NEVER get my vote, because they don’t repent, they just seek a means of fooling people into voting for them.
December 29, 2025
There are two basic issues: either our politicians do not understand what the public (reasonably) wants – reform of the incompetent and wasteful Civil Service, stop spaffing our money at ludicrous projects (eg Chagos, £400 billion on Quangos, HS2, Net Zero etc), more accountability in the public sector and so on) – or if they do, why don’t they have the guts to take the necessary action? We have been very evidently, and repeatedly, let down on both counts. Those predicting a serious backlash have the support of reason.
December 29, 2025
Its time to repeal all dual nationality & citizenship
December 29, 2025
And abolish British citizenship altogether, it’s a new thing.
Then WE decide who can remain, I propose the British ie those of the 4 nations have that right.
Let’s be like Poland! No Mozlem asylum. No Christmas problems, low crime.
December 29, 2025
Spot On
December 30, 2025
Did you argue against scrapping on non dom tax?
December 29, 2025
we are (supposedly)a democracy.Head of state hereditary.The superior chamber of parliament
unelected.In my 80+years I have never been given the opportunity to effect radical change.
I have been involved with the whole circus of party political pantomime.
nothing changes and,regrettably,nothing will
December 29, 2025
Sir John,
Congratulations from here in Australia. This recognition is both well deserved and grossly overdue. I am delighted for you and for the contribution you can make.
December 29, 2025
The trouble is that previous leaders/PMs particularly Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Richi Sunak have most definitely not stood for Conservative values. Boris Johnson’s liking for lockdowns forced me to finish with my membership of the Conservatives, I could not be at one with such a cruel policy.
December 30, 2025
A psychopathic policy.
No decent person could condone the sick wielding of power for its own sake.
December 30, 2025
” who we are and who we stand for”
The problem there is the word ‘we’. It is no doubt Badenoch herself stands for all that (while in opposition, at least) but the problem is that her views are not shared by whole swathes of Tory MPs, or by those who offer themselves as candidates: commandeered by Common Purpose, itching to rejoin the EU to amplify their future political careers, and instinctively left-wing – as we saw in MP after MP during the May, Johnson and Sunak years. We all remember these people, it is unnecessary to name them. They are legion in the parliamentary party, and indeed among the urban membership – they take the line of least resistance and cannot bear not to be at ‘the centre’ – which of course is now so far left in the Overton envelope as to be indistinguishable from Blarite Labour.
Voters are not going to forget what they saw happen day after day in the House of Commons: the betrayal of manifesto promises by MPs who acted more like infiltrators.. (You, Sir John, were a rare, most honourable exception. And how much support did you see around you? I assure you, parliamentary tv is a ruthless portrayer of uncomfortable truths.)
Reply The current MP s are supporting Kemi’s changes