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The Right Honourable
The Lord True
CBE PC
The Right Honourable The Lord True CBE PC
	Official portrait, 2022
Leader of the Opposition in the Lords; Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 8 July 2024
Leader	Rishi Sunak; Kemi Badenoch
Preceded by	The Baroness Smith of Basildon
Leader of the House of Lords; Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
	In office; 6 September 2022 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Liz Truss; Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Succeeded by	The Baroness Smith of Basildon
Minister of State at the Cabinet Office
	In office; 14 February 2020 – 6 September 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	David Laws
Succeeded by	The Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Leader of the Richmond upon Thames Council
	In office; 7 May 2010 – 4 July 2017
Preceded by	Serge Lourie
Succeeded by	Paul Hodgins
Member of the House of Lords ; Lord Temporal
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 11 January 2011; Life Peerage
Richmond upon Thames Councillor; for East Sheen Ward
	In office; 7 May 1998 – 3 May 2018
Preceded by	Grose S.
Succeeded by	Brian Anthony Marcel
	In office; 8 May 1986 – 3 May 1990
Preceded by	B. Semmens
Succeeded by	Baden-Powell K. Ms.
Personal details
Born	31 July 1951 (age 73)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Anne-Marie Elena Kathleen Blanco Hood (m. 1979)
Children	3
Education	Nottingham High School
Alma mater	Peterhouse, Cambridge

Nicholas Edward True, Baron True, CBE, PC (born 31 July 1951) is a British Conservative politician who served as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal between September 2022 and July 2024. He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2011 and Shadow Leader of the House of Lords since July 2024.^[1]

Early life and education

True was born on 31 July 1951 to Edward Thomas True and Kathleen Louise True (née Mather). He was educated at Nottingham High School and Peterhouse, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1973; as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) in 1978.^[2]

Politics

True worked in the Conservative Research Department from 1975 to 1982, also serving as assistant to the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party from 1978 to 1982. He was special adviser to Norman Fowler, Secretary of State for Health and Social Security from 1982 to 1986. He then moved to be Director of the Public Policy Unit from 1986 to 1990. He was Deputy Head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit from 1991 to 1995, before becoming special adviser within the Prime Minister's Office in 1997, until the general election of that year. In his memoirs the former Prime Minister John Major says that True was his favourite speechwriter. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1993 New Year Honours.^[3]

True served as private secretary to the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords and Director of the Opposition Whips' Office there from 1997 to 2010. On 23 December 2010 he was created a life peer as Baron True, of East Sheen in the County of Surrey.^[4]

In June 2021, he announced plans for the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours in the House of Lords.^[5]

Public office

True at the 2023 State Opening of Parliament

He was a Conservative councillor in the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1998 to 2018. He served as Leader of the Council from 2010 to 2017, having previously served as Deputy Leader from 2002 to 2006 and Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2010.

He has been, since 2006, a trustee of the Richmond Civic Trust, and since 1996 a trustee of Sir Harold Hood's Charitable Trust. He served the Olga Havel Foundation in the same capacity from 1990 to 1994.

In February 2020 True was made a Minister of State at the Cabinet Office.

On 6 September 2022, Liz Truss promoted him to Cabinet and appointed him Leader of the House of Lords.^[6]

On 13 September 2022, he was sworn-in as a Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.^[7]

Personal life

In 1979 he married Anne-Marie Elena Kathleen Blanco, daughter of Robin Adrian Hood, director of CAFOD from 1977 to 1982, and granddaughter of the businessman and Conservative politician Sir Joseph Hood, 1st Baronet.^[8] They have two sons and one daughter.

Notes

^ As Minister Assisting the Deputy Prime Minister, 2015.

References

^ "UK politics live: Lord Cameron resigns as Rishi Sunak announces interim shadow cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
^ "True, Baron, (Nicholas Edward True) (born 31 July 1951)". Who's Who 2022. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
^ "No. 53153". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1992. p. 9.
^ "No. 59656". The London Gazette. 30 December 2010. p. 24903.
^ "Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament". questions-statements.parliament.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
^ "Lord True CBE has been appointed Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords". Twitter. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
^ "Orders for 13 September 2022" (PDF). Privy Council Office. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 1594

Who's Who 2011

Political offices
Vacant Title last held by David Laws as Minister Assisting the Deputy Prime Minister	Minister of State at the Cabinet Office 2020–2022	Succeeded by The Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Preceded by The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park	Leader of the House of Lords 2022–2024	Succeeded by The Baroness Smith of Basildon
Preceded by The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park	Lord Privy Seal 2022–2024	Succeeded by The Baroness Smith of Basildon
Party political offices
Preceded by The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park	Leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords 2022–present	Incumbent