Thomas Strathclyde is Leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords, a post he has held since 1998. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1995, and he has been a member of the Shadow Cabinet since 1997.
Lord Strathclyde took his seat in the House of Lords in 1986 and has held a number of Government posts including Minister for Tourism and Minister of State for Small Firms and Consumer Affairs. John Major appointed him Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords in 1994.
During his ministerial career, Lord Strathclyde has championed the cause of Parliamentary independence and is an expert on Constitutional Reform. Lord Strathclyde was the Spectator Magazine Peer of the Year in 2004.