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Rupert Mitford, 6th Baron Redesdale

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British hereditary peer and Liberal Democrat politician

The Right HonourableThe Lord Redesdale
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer
4 March 1991 – 11 November 1999
Preceded byClement Mitford, 5th Baron Redesdale
Succeeded bySeat abolished  
as a life peer
18 April 2000 – present
Personal details
BornRupert Bertram Mitford
(1967-07-18) 18 July 1967 (age 57)
London
NationalityBritish
Political partyLiberal Democrat
Spouse(s)Helen née Shipsey,
Lady Redesdale
ChildrenTwo sons, two daughters
Alma materNewcastle University
OccupationPolitician

Rupert Bertram Mitford, 6th Baron Redesdale, Baron Mitford (born 18 July 1967), is a British hereditary peer, Liberal Democrat politician and member of the prominent Mitford family.

Biography

Mitford was educated at Milton Abbey and Highgate School, before going up to Newcastle University, where he graduated with the degree of BA.

He succeeded his father as Baron Redesdale, of Redesdale in the County of Northumberland, in 1991.

Following the removal of hereditary peers' automatic right to a seat in Parliament by the House of Lords Act 1999, the Liberal Democrats took advantage of an offer from the New Labour Government for some of their hereditary peers to return to the House as working peers. Redesdale was created a life peer on 18 April 2000, as Baron Mitford, of Redesdale in the County of Northumberland. At the age of 32, he was the youngest person ever to receive a life peerage, a record held until Charlotte Owen was made a peeress in 2023 at the age of 30. By convention, the House of Lords refer to peers holding multiple titles by whichever is senior within the peerage. Thus Mitford is known in the House as Lord Redesdale.

He is a first cousin once removed of the famous Mitford sisters, daughters of the 2nd Baron Redesdale. The youngest of the sisters, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, was, with her husband, the 11th Duke, active in the Social Democratic Party. This later merged with the Liberal Party to become the Liberal Democrats, for whom Redesdale sits in the House of Lords.

Career

He has spoken on various issues on behalf of the Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Party, such as the environment, international development, and science and technology. He is patron of various societies, including one encouraged by his parliamentary colleagues, namely the Red Squirrel Protection Partnership, which advocates strict control of the grey squirrel population so as to enhance the chance of red squirrels' survival.

Lord Redesdale was the Energy Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats for the House of Lords from 2000 to 2008. In 2009 he founded the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association.

In 2012 Redesdale founded, and became the CEO of, the Energy Managers Association.

The Energy Managers Association (EMA) was set up in February 2012 to act as the voice for energy managers across all industries and to enhance the recognition of the Energy Management profession. Redesdale stood down from his role as CEO in December 2020, but remains on the board.

In November 2013, he, along with Jason Franks (formerly of the Daily Mail and General Trust events division), founded Heelec, which launched the Energy Management Exhibition (EMEX). The show attracts over 4,500 professionals from the Energy Managers Association's 25,000-large community.

In 2022, the EMEX London exhibition was acquired by Mark Allen Group to which Redesdale has agreed to stay on as a consultant.

In May 2021, Lord Redesdale, along with business partners, launched an annual exhibition for the UK Metals Sector called the UK Metals Expo, which saw its first edition hosted in September 2022.

The UK Metals Expo benefits from full endorsement and collaboration from the UK Metals Council, its member trade associations and numerous other industry bodies, under the leadership of Lord Redesdale as the conference chair.

At the beginning of the 2022–23 parliamentary session, Lord Redesdale entered a Climate and Ecology Bill in the House of Lords new session private members' bill ballot. It was drawn eighth, and the bill's first reading took place on 21 May 2022. Its second reading took place on 15 July 2022, where a cross-party group of peers spoke in favour. At committee stage, Redesdale amended the bill to focus on its nature target in light of the agreement reached at COP15 for nations to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. The amended bill—the Ecology Bill—passed through its remaining Lords stages successfully, and was handed over to Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat MP for Bath) on 25 April 2023.

Personal life

He lives with his wife, Helen (née Shipsey), Lady Redesdale, who is a lawyer, and their four children (Bertram, Clementine, Amelia, Edward) near Tufnell Park, north London, as well as in Northumberland.

The heir apparent to the title is the Hon. Bertram Mitford, born in 2000.

Arms

Coat of arms of Rupert Mitford, 6th Baron Redesdale
Crest
Two hands couped at the wrist Proper grasping a sword erect Argent the point and hilt or the blade enfiled with a boar's head erased Sable.
Escutcheon
Argent a fess between three moles Sable.
Supporters
On either side an eagle rising sable beaked and legged or gorged with a wreath of shamrocks Proper and charged on the breast with a fusil also Or.
Motto
God Careth For Us

See also

Notes

  1. Under the House of Lords Act 1999.

References

  1. "The list of new working peers". BBC News. 30 March 2000. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  2. "No. 55838". The London Gazette. 4 May 2000. p. 4915.
  3. Francis, Sam (20 November 2014). "Young, ambitious – and at a hustings near you". BBC News. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  4. "Red Squirrel Protection Partnership – Officers". Companies House. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  5. Adams, Tim (19 October 2008). "Tim Adams meets a pair of militants out to defend the red squirrel". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  6. D. T. Max (7 October 2007). "The Squirrel Wars". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  7. Democrats, Liberal (23 April 2013). "Liberal Democrat Listing for Lord Redesdale". Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  8. The incorporation of the EMA (12 February 2012). "The Energy Managers Association (The EMA)". Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  9. Companies House Website (31 December 2020). "Companies House resignation". Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  10. The EMEX website (7 December 2019). "EMEX London Exhibition audience analysis". Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  11. Mark Allen Group Website (13 June 2022). "Mark Allen Acquisition of EMEX". Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  12. UK Parliament Website (28 May 2021). "Lord Redesdales registered business interests". Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  13. UK Metals Expo website (1 August 2022). "New UK Exhibition for the Metals Industry launched". Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  14. UK Metals Council (13 March 2023). "UK Metals Council announces 2023 event support". Retrieved 13 March 2023.

External links

Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded byClement Mitford Baron Redesdale
2nd creation
1991–present
Member of the House of Lords
(1991–1999) 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Hon. Bertram Mitford
Current Liberal Democrat members of the House of Lords
Hereditary peers
Life peers
2006 Lord Speaker election
Outgoing Presiding Officer: The Lord Falconer of Thoroton (as Lord Chancellor)
2011 Lord Speaker election
Outgoing Lord Speaker: Baroness Hayman
Current hereditary barons in the peerage of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
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The Prince Regent
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Italics in entries mean the titleholder also holds a previously listed barony of greater precedence.
^* Also a Lord in the Peerage of Scotland, ^• Also a Baron in the Peerage of Ireland
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