Background
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. [1] [2] 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. [3] 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 sat in the House of Lords before becoming non-affiliated.
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, [4] which advocates strict control of the grey squirrel population so as to enhance the chance of red squirrels' survival. [5] [6]
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. [7]
In 2012 Redesdale founded,and became the CEO of,the Energy Managers Association. [8]
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. [9]
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. [10]
In 2022,the EMEX London exhibition was acquired by Mark Allen Group to which Redesdale has agreed to stay on as a consultant. [11]
In May 2021,Lord Redesdale,along with business partners, [12] launched an annual exhibition for the UK Metals Sector called the UK Metals Expo,which saw its first edition hosted in September 2022. [13]
The UK Metals Expo benefits from full endorsement and collaboration from the UK Metals Council, [14] its member trade associations and numerous other industry bodies,under the leadership of Lord Redesdale as the conference chair. In December 2024,UK Metals Expo was acquired by Easyfairs to which Redesdale has agreed to stay on as the conference chair. [15]
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.
Lord Redesdale became non-affiliated in June 2025. [16]
In July 2025,Lord Redesdale backed a last-minute rescue bid from investment firm Muinin Holdings to bail out utilities company Thames Water. Thames Water ultimately rejected the offer,stating that it had "little credibility or viability to recapitalise the business",and that it was "progressing discussions on the senior creditors' plan with Ofwat". [17]
