Rupert Bertram Mitford, 6th Baron Redesdale, Baron Mitford (born 18 July 1967), is a British hereditary peer who sat in the House of Lords from 1991 until 1999 before returning in 2000 as a life peer. A former Liberal Democrat, he is a member of the prominent Mitford family.
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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. 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 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
Redesdale spoke on various issues on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, including the environment, international development, and science and technology, and held a series of frontbench roles for the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. He served as Shadow Minister for Defence (2004–05), Spokesperson for Defence (2005), Energy Spokesperson — across its trade, industry and environment portfolios (2005–09) — Agriculture Spokesperson (2007–09), and briefly as Spokesperson for both Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in early 2009.
He stood as a candidate in the 2006 and 2011 Lord Speaker elections.
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. In 2009, he founded the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association.
In 2012, Redesdale founded — and became the CEO of — the Energy Managers Association (EMA). The 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, along with Jason Franks (formerly of the Daily Mail and General Trust events division), Redesdale 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, which Redesdale has agreed to stay on as a consultant.
In May 2021, along with business partners, he 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 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.
Personal life
He lives with his wife, Helen (née Shipsey), Lady Redesdale, who is a lawyer, and their four children near Tufnell Park, north London. He also maintains a presence at the Redesdale estate in Northumberland, which comprises farmland and commercial and residential property.
The heir apparent to the title is the Hon. Bertram Mitford, born in 2000.