It's Baron Benyon - former Newbury MP joins the Lords

Environmental issues will be to the fore, he pledges

FORMER Newbury MP Richard Benyon is now officially Baron Benyon of Englefield and enters the House of Lords.

He was ceremonially ‘introduced’ to the upper chamber of Parliament on Tuesday.

Each new member traditionally has two supporters at the ceremony and Lord Benyon chose fellow Conservative peers Zac Goldsmith and Tom Strathclyde (pictured).

Lord Benyon said he would be taking a particular interest the environment, adding: “It’s going to be an important year, with the COP26 [2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference] taking place and the whole world coming to the UK as a result.

“The aim is to keep temperature rises to a 1.5 degree increase.

“It’s a massive ask and I really would like to support the Government in its efforts.”

Lord Benyon was the Conservative MP for Newbury from 2005 to 2019 and a former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Mr Benyon’s late father, Sir William Benyon, did not hold government office, but was Vice Lord Lieutenant for Berkshire from 1994 and High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1995.