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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.