Professional life
Telegraph Media Group: Executive Director, 2005-2018; Deputy Chairman, 2018-
Director of Communications, Conservative Central Office and Press Secretary to Rt Hon Michael Howard QC, MP (Leader of the Opposition), 2003-05
Director, Press Complaints Commission, 1996-2003
Associate Director, Good Relations (1994-6); and Westminster Strategy (1992-4)
Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Energy, 1989-1992
Conservative Research Department, 1986-89
For information on the House of Lords click here
Press and media freedom, and regulation
Chairman, Press Standards Board of Finance, 2009-14
Director, Advertising Standards Board of Finance, 2005-
President, Institute of Promotional Marketing, 2015 –
Director, Regulatory Funding Company, 2018 -; (Vice Chairman, 2021 - )
International media
Supervisory Board of WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers), 2020-
Vice-President, News Media Europe, 2015 -2021; Press Freedom Commissioner 2021 -
Chairman, Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust, 2009-
President, European Newspaper Publishers Association, 2014-2015
Media and press charities and organisations
Patron, Rory Peck Trust, 2014-
Vice President, The Journalists’ Charity, 2014-
President, The Printing Charity, 2013-15
President Emeritus, The Printing Charity 2015 -
President, The London Press Club, 2012-
House of Lords
Appointed to the House of Lords as a Conservative Peer, July 2010
Committees and All Party Groups
Member, Joint Committee on the Online Safety Bill, 2021
Member, Steering Group for Change 2020-
Member, Select Committee on Democracy and Digital Technology, 2019-2020
Member, Select Committee on Sexual Violence in Conflict, 2015 -
Member, Information Committee, 2011- 2015
Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Privacy and Super-injunctions, 2011-12
Vice Chairman, All Party Parliamentary Groups on HIV; ITV; and Cats (APGOCATS).
Co Chairman, APPG on Music Education
Co Chairman, APPG on Osteoporosis and Bone Health
Parliamentary record
For information on voting records, speeches and Parliamentary Questions please click here
For Register of Interests click here
Legislation
Introduced the Welfare of Cats Bill as Private Members’ legislation in July 2014. For a copy of the Bill click here
Music
Chairman of the Royal College of Music, 2017 - (and member of Council since 2009)
Chairman, The Hanover Band, 2014-2017
Trustee, Mayor of London's Fund for Young Musicians, 2010-11
Honorary Member, Incorporated Society of Musicians, 2015
Public bodies and charities
Treasurer, Imperial War Museum Foundation, 2009-
Trustee, Imperial War Museum, 2007 - 2015
Honorary Vice President, Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition, 2007-
Patron, International Cat Care, 2016 -
Patron, Terrence Higgins Trust, 2017-
St Bride’s
Master of St Bride's Guild, 2020 -
Churchwarden, St Bride’s, 2014- 2017
Member of the Guild of St Bride, 2009-
Brentwood
Chairman of Governors, 2024-; Governor, Brentwood School, 2013-
President, Society of Old Brentwoods, 2012-13
Member, Brentwood District Council, 1988-1992
Honours and Awards
2016 - Awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
2016 - Received Pink News "Peer of the Year" Award for contribution to LGBT rights
2017 - Received Journalists' Charity Award for outstanding contribution to journalists and journalism.
Education
Peterhouse, Cambridge, MA in History, 1982-85. (Winner Sir Herbert Butterfield Prize for History, 1985; John Cosin Scholarship, 1984)
Brentwood School, Essex, 1971-81
Updated: April 2023