A Boris Johnson ally appointed to the House of Lords has said he had to strongly consider whether to take the role, as he said that the job of a peer is “not to be taken lightly”.
Thirty-one-year-old Ross Kempsell was nominated to the Lords in the former prime minister’s much-criticised resignation honours list released in June.
A former political director of the Conservative Party, he took his seat Lords in recent weeks.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, he said that he took his time before deciding to take a seat in the upper chamber.
“I didn’t know it was happening until the process started. I thought very long and hard about it because I passionately believe serving in the House of Lords is a huge responsibility — and not to be taken lightly,” he told the paper.
“I took advice from a number of peers I know, including crossbenchers.
“There is a political element for those who sit with the parties, but the primary motivation must be public service.
“I decided that this was an opportunity for public service that I didn’t foresee. I always wanted to do something significant in my life, to contribute.”
Mr Kempsell, who said that it was “inevitable” that new members of the Lord and Commons would receive criticism, also came to the defence of newly elected Labour MP Keir Mather.
The 25-year-old Labour politician, who won this month’s Selby and Ainsty by-election, was immediately compared to a character from cult Channel 4 comedy The Inbetweeners by Veterans’ Affairs Minister Johnny Mercer.
Mr Kempsell rejected such an attack.
He said: “Of all the disputes any Conservative might have with Keir Mather, his age cannot be one of them.
“The young person’s defence always has to be: ‘Judge me by the results of my work, not by my age. I am here to carry out this role properly and seriously, to the best of my ability’.”
