Prominent Climate Skeptic Dr. Matt Ridley Elected To The House Of Lords
Viscount Ridley has been elected as a Conservative hereditary Peer in the recent by-election to fill the vacancy after Earl Ferrers’ death in November 2012.
Under the House of Lords Act 1999, the House of Lords elected 90 hereditary Peers to sit in the reformed House. When one of these hereditary Peers dies, a by-election is held: in this case, the vacancy occurred among the Conservative hereditary Peers, so the electors were those hereditary Peers belonging to the Conservative party.
All those on the Register of Hereditary Peers are eligible to stand in by-elections. The by-election must take place within three months of any vacancy occurring.
Matt Ridley has been a scientist, journalist and businessman. With BA and DPhil degrees from Oxford University, he worked for the Economist for nine years as science editor, Washington correspondent and American editor, before becoming a self-employed writer and businessman. He is the author of several books, which have sold over 900,000 copies, been translated into 30 languages, been short-listed for nine major literary prizes and won several awards. He is a member of the GWPF’s Academic Advisory Council.
Thanks to GWPF for this announcement.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Magnificent! Congratulations, M’Lord.
That is the correct title now, isn’t it?
Anthony, that is not a hereditary position, it is actually a ‘life peerage’. Hereditary peers assume the title from family, e.g. on death of the father.
Oops , my mistake. Yup, he was already a hereditary peer, just now elected to sit in the House of Lords. My apologies.
That is so cool. I didn’t realize he was uppa closs peerage. I thought he was just a writer, a very fine writer.
We now have a lord who is not afraid to call a a liar a liar.
Congratulations to Lord Ridley.
Not sure why the link didn’t work. Here it is again:
https://twitter.com/keithkloor/status/281933698989961216
One step at a time…
Mega congrats to Lord Ridley!
I am predisposed to thinking less of him now that I know he is of the gentry. I will attempt to not think less of him given his good works. Perhaps congratulations are in order.
Good news. I immensely enjoyed his book “The Rational Optimist”.
I believe he will be an excellent spokesman for science in general and Global Warming skepticism in particular in the House of Lords.
Congrats.
With Prince Philip and Lord Ridley on the side of truth, who can be on the side of Satan?
Well, almost everyone in government and business.
Still, two real noblemen with official power can accomplish more than one.
Congratulations to Viscount Ridley for achieving his birth-right by amassing the huge total of 14 votes! Lets hope he does a better job in the Lords than he did at the bank he inherited from his father.
Excellent news. A strong voice where needed. Congratulations, Lord Ridley.
Wow – now I know why I USED to really like “The Economist” because it USED to employ critical thinkers like Matt Ridley. I believe The Economist USED to be very influential in leadership circles.
Since 2000, Lynn Forester de Rothschild seems to have exerted editorial control over The Economist resulting in a change from balanced science coverage more towards the Global Warming alarmist views held by her immediate family.
Upon acquiring the Weather Channel Lynn stated, “As weather becomes more extreme around the planet, with greater human and financial ramifications, we believe that Weather Central will play a major role in mitigating damage and improving lives. This is important to the Rothschilds, as it is to Weather Central. We are proud of our new partnership with them.”
Lynn’s husbands son is David Mayer de Rothschild author of “The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills to Stop Climate Change—Or Live Through It.” So clearly at leas some of her family must worry about this.
I respect the owner’s right to an opinion and nobody is forced to buy The Economist – so the owner if free to editorialize or sensationalize as much as they want. Regretfully however, I no longer subscribe to this once great magazine and sadly there has been nothing that has risen to fill the void. Everything has a life cycle I guess. The Economist has had its day. It is a shallow thoughtless news magazine that would probably be best used as kindling for old age pensioners who can no longer afford to heat their homes due to green taxes.
Is this the Matt Ridley, author of the inspiring “Rational Optimist” ?
Hopefully he’ll balance the damage done by the likes of Lord Deben, a rampant warmist with outrageous vested interests.
I wonder how Christopher Monckton has reacted to the news. He is also a hereditary peer and has stood four times for election to the House of Lords and has never received a single vote. By contrast Viscount (Matt) Ridley led from the first round of voting.
@Peter laux
No, he always was Viscount Ridley who destroyed the bank he inherited from his father. I am sore he will advocate strongly for government bailouts and other support for banks.
It is my opinion that the world would likely be better off with more scientists and engineers elected to office and fewer lawyers.
Truth will prevail. Truth will be the victor! What happens within the time frame to get there is a worry. I have just gone through Christopher Booker’s book, ‘The real Global Warming Disaster’ thoroughly. What amazes me is the amount of money which has been spent on this illusion! It is staggering. No wonder economies are struggling.
On the flip side of the coin Donna puts the boot in on Suzuki
Excellent news. Another voice that will be hard for the MSM to smother.
@odoious.. keep with the adhoms, mate.. Its all you have !!
Lordy Lordy Dear Lord.
XD
I like Matt Ridley as a writer and essayist, but I cannot support his elevation to the House of Lords without so much as a vote by the people.
The House of Lords is a feudal anachronism that should be abolished in favour of an elected Senate. This has been promised several times and reneged upon several times by British politicians.
So who died?
Odo says:
February 6, 2013 at 5:42 pm
A little fact checking goes a long way
Formerly the Northern Rock Building Society, the bank was formed in 1997 when the society floated on the London Stock Exchange (with the ticker symbol NRK). Since 1 January 2010 when it was split into a ‘good’ and a ‘bad’ bank, the “Northern Rock” name has referred to two companies – this bank, Northern Rock, and a separate asset company, Northern Rock (Asset Management) plc.[3
Never a ‘family bank’. Yes it was ‘carpetbagged’, but not by some toff family.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Rock