Peter Lilley
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Articles by Peter Lilley
A Brexit single market ‘reset’ would be a huge mistake
One uncomfortable consequence of political longevity is seeing the facts prove some of one’s most confident forecasts wrong. As the trade secretary overseeing Britain’s entry into the single market in 1992, I claimed it would wonderfully boost our exports. As I outline in my new paper for Policy Exchange, I was proved wrong.
There’s nothing Christian about trapping people on benefits
What in Heaven’s name should we do about the benefit bill? And what on earth can be done about it?
Its biggest champion Lord Hermer has just demolished the case for the ECHR
Opinion Peter Lilley Thu, September 11, 2025 at 4:26 PM UTC 3 min read If only Labour ministers would resign because their policies – not their dubious friendships or mortgages – are indefensible. Then we might be rid of the Attorney General, Lord Hermer. Appearing before the Lords Constitution Committee, he could not find a single legal reason why we should remain members of the ECHR.
Only ECHR withdrawal can stop Britain from becoming like America
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so,” warned Mark Twain. What everyone “knows” about the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is the claim that it was a British invention, comprising traditional British rights, eagerly adopted by Attlee and Churchill. The problem is, “that just ain’t so”.
Kemi Badenoch has just blown the net zero myth wide open
The trouble with the future is that it arrives far quicker than you expect. In 2008 when the Climate Change Act was passed with all-party support, its huge potential costs seemed too far in the future to worry about. The only people who even mentioned the cost were the handful of MPs, of whom I was one, who voted against it.
Debunking the myths about the ECHR
This year the European Convention on Human Rights and its Strasbourg court are 75 years old – the age at which British judges are obliged to retire. Is it time for Britain to retire from this ageing institution? Not according to the Attorney-General, Lord Hermer, a former human rights lawyer, who recently pledged that under Labour Britain would never leave.
Rich countries like China don’t deserve handouts from the British taxpayer
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Rich countries like China don’t deserve handouts from the British taxpayer
Peter Lilley August 22, 2024 at 9:46 AM·4 min read You may not be able to afford a ticket to Glyndebourne or the Royal Opera – but your hard-earned taxes paid for citizens of prosperous Shanghai to see traditional Chinese opera performed by an all-female cast.
A quiet coup is handing control of Britain to the lawyers
Should we adopt the Iranian system of rule by a Council of Guardians – wise Ayatollahs – who oversee what elected representatives must, may and cannot do, to ensure government policies accord with the Ayatollahs’ interpretation of sacred texts? No takers for that in Britain you may think. But in fact the UK is well on the way to succumbing to such a system. In Iran it was established by the Islamic Revolution overthrowing the Shah. Here it is being imposed by a stealthy constitutional revolution.
Don’t be fooled by the Blob, Brexit is already paying dividends
The clue, as Sherlock Holmes taught us, is “the dog that didn’t bark in the night”. This week was the fourth anniversary of “getting Brexit done” when the UK finally left the EU. Yet from the Government came not a bark, scarcely a growl – except from the Business and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, who published an excellent 24-page summary of the fruits of Brexit. The rest of the government machine was mysteriously silent.
Cop28 should prompt a net zero rethink
There is no doubt that divine providence has a sense of humour. As our King and Prime Minister joined tens of thousands of eco-warriors at Cop28, in Dubai, to decry (and contribute to) the threat of carbon emissions warming the planet, Alpine ski slopes were covered in pre-seasonal snow and Britain has had its earliest snowfall in 15 years. It reminded me of the night, 15 years ago, when Parliament passed the Climate Change Act amid terrifying predictions of catastrophic heatwaves.
Cop28 should prompt a net zero rethink
There is no doubt that divine providence has a sense of humour. As our King and Prime Minister joined tens of thousands of eco-warriors at Cop28, in Dubai, to decry (and contribute to) the threat of carbon emissions warming the planet, Alpine ski slopes were covered in pre-seasonal snow and Britain has had its earliest snowfall in 15 years. It reminded me of the night, 15 years ago, when Parliament passed the Climate Change Act amid terrifying predictions of catastrophic heatwaves.
Cop28 should prompt a net zero rethink
Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. In this article: Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. Climate Change Cop28 in Dubai There is no doubt that divine providence has a sense of humour. As our King and Prime Minister joined tens of thousands of eco-warriors at Cop28, in Dubai, to decry (and contribute to) the threat of carbon emissions warming the planet, Alpine ski slopes were covered in pre-seasonal snow and Britain has had its earliest snowfall in 15 years.
Brexit has already saved us billions
“What has Brexit ever done for us?” to redirect the question originally asked about the Romans in a famous Monty Python sketch. On the seventh anniversary of the referendum, it is being asked by Brexit critics who, as in the original sketch, are reluctant to hear the answer. Which is: “quite a lot actually”. With more to come. Most fundamentally, Brexit has, as promised, given us back democratic control over our laws, money and borders. How those powers are used is up to Parliament and government.
Brexit has already saved us billions
“What has Brexit ever done for us?” to redirect the question originally asked about the Romans in a famous Monty Python sketch. On the seventh anniversary of the referendum, it is being asked by Brexit critics who, as in the original sketch, are reluctant to hear the answer. Which is: “quite a lot actually”. With more to come. Most fundamentally, Brexit has, as promised, given us back democratic control over our laws, money and borders. How those powers are used is up to Parliament and government.
The immigration taboo nobody wants to break
Airline passengers in the arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport in London The old maxim that “facts speak for themselves” is bunkum. Facts are dumb unless someone points them out. Take mass immigration. When Tony Blair opened our borders, he claimed that it would deliver three economic benefits. It would fill skill shortages, assuage the overall labour shortage and boost economic growth. After decades of unprecedented mass immigration, the economic facts are undeniable. Skill shortages have worsened.
Nigel Lawson was, like me, a British Gaullist who understood Brexit was necessary
Former Chancellor Nigel Lawson at a 2016 debate on "The Implications of Brexit" They were the power couple who changed the fortunes of this country and were admired across the world: Nigel Lawson who died this week and Margaret Thatcher who died 10 years ago this month. Nigel provided the intellectual heft and economic expertise to what became known as Thatcherism. Margaret – while sharing his economic principles – gave not just her name but the leadership and moral purpose. Why did they fall out?
Agility, transformation, innovation: why cloud and open source should work together
Open source allows enterprises to disassemble, rebuild and customise technology. Photo by Luke Southern on Unsplash Open source technology is the backbone of a strong and intricate cloud strategy, with many companies catching on to this. Microsoft acquired GitHub in 2018, while IBM acquired Red Hat, both in an attempt to catapult open source development capabilities. Both industries are growing as well. Open source is expected to reach USD 66.84 billion by 2026, up from 21.7 billion in 2021.
How the democratisation of technology roles paints a bright future for rural and remote Australia
comment, Beyond their boundless beauty, regional and rural communities provide immense contributions to Australia's economy. Approximately 67 per cent of the value of Australia's exports comes from regional, rural and remote areas - agriculture alone contributes $50 billion to our GDP. Despite this, one sector has long been neglected and grossly underserved by the available talent in these regions: technology.
Anatomy of a miserable deal
Barnier’s Secret Journal should interest British readers due to the insights on whether the UK could have negotiated a better deal This article is taken from the July 2021 issue of The Critic. To get the full magazine why not subscribe? Right now we’re offering five issue for just £10. Michel Barnier’s account of his impressive handling of the Brexit negotiations on behalf of the EU is his opening bid for the French presidency.
Open Source vs. Open Core
Pure open source technologies are the forward evolution of the software industry. Ongoing acceleration in enterprise open source adoption continues to reaffirm the trendline. The collaborative talent of robust open source communities regularly achieve results that eclipse the strengths – and expose the limitations – of proprietary alternatives, writes Instaclustr CEO Peter Lilley.
Who is sovereign - people or Parliament?
It is easy to dismiss the outrage at the prorogation of Parliament until 14 October as at best exaggerated and at worst synthetic. Exaggerated, since protestors, having prepared for a prorogation until after Brexit was completed, reacted with pre-planned outrage, even though they will have the opportunity to move a vote of no confidence and respond to any agreement or absence of agreement emerging from the European Council on 17/18 October.
Peter Lilley - Wikispooks
Peter Lilley (politician) Born 1943-08-23 Hayes, Kent, England Nationality British Alma mater Clare College (Cambridge) Spouse Gail Party Conservative In office 11 June 1997 - 15 June 1999 Boss In office 11 June 1997 - 2 June 1998 Preceded by Succeeded by In office 2 May 1997 - 11 June 1997 Preceded by In office 8 April 1992 - 2 May 1997 Succeeded by In office 14 July 1990 - 11 April 1992 Preceded by Succeeded by In office 24 July 1989 - 28 November 1990 Preceded by Succeeded by In office 11...
Peter Lilley: Fears about leaving the Customs Union are a mix of imaginary and exaggerated
Lord Lilley is a former Secretary of State for Trade & Industy and for Social Security. The highly unpopular provisions in the Prime Minister’s draft Withdrawal Agreement that could keep the UK indefinitely in the EU Customs Union are driven not just by a pointless attempt to avoid a hard border between the UK and EU in Ireland, but by fears that they will impose costs, cause delays, disrupt supply chains and undermine economic growth.
Peter Lilley: The Prime Minister - a modern-day Queen Canute
Peter Lilley is a former Secretary of State for Trade & Industy and for Social Security. King Canute gets an unfairly bad press. And so perhaps does Theresa May. Poor Canute is often represented enthroned on a beach, vainly commanding the tide to go out as the sea washes around his ankles. In fact, he was a wise monarch showing his nobles that the power of earthly kings is trivial compared to that of God. They should not demand of him the impossible.
Peter Lilley: Dear Agony Aunt - our friend Theresa has a problem with Michel. Can you help?
Can you advise my friend Theresa? She has been living with a group of friends in a large house which they bought collectively with a shared mortgage. She decided that living in a commune has all become a bit too restrictive. She found it irritating to have to abide by all the ‘house rules’ set by the others.
Peter Lilley
Peter Lilley is a former British Conservative Party MP who sits on the Board of Trustees of the UK climate science denying thinktank the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF). He represented the Hitchin and Harpenden constituency from 1997 to 2017, previously holding the seat for St Albans 1983. Lilley has a record of consistently voting against policy measures to tackle climate change, including in 2008 when he was one of three MPs to vote against the UK’s Climate Change Act.
Peter Lilley: Sovereignty or prosperity? It’s a false choice. They go hand in hand.
Peter Lilley is a former Secretary of State for Trade & Industy and for Social Security. It is widely assumed that there is a trade-off between sovereignty and prosperity. Remainers argue that we will make ourselves poorer by taking back democratic control of our laws, borders and money, and deride sovereignty as a nostalgic illusion. Some Leavers tacitly accept this trade-off, but argue that democratic self-government is good in itself and worth making sacrifices for. But this is a false choice.
How to succeed in Number Ten
I am ashamed at how woefully ignorant I was before reading this book about all but the handful of our prime ministers who had attracted my attention. The two Pitts, because I was born in the village where they lived; Disraeli, because Robert Blake’s biography reignited my generation’s enthusiasm for that unlikely Tory hero; Gladstone, to hear the other side of the story; and Salisbury, who appealed to me most of all, thanks to Andrew Roberts’s biography.
Peter Lilley | DeSmog UK
Peter Lilley is a former British Conservative Party MP who sits on the Board of Trustees of the UK climate science denying thinktank the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF). He represented the Hitchin and Harpenden constituency from 1997 to 2017, previously holding the seat for St Albans 1983. Lilley has a record of consistently voting against policy measures to tackle climate change, including in 2008 when he was one of three MPs to vote against the UK’s Climate Change Act.
Departing In Peace | Standpoint
Parliament has changed enormously over the third of a century I have served there — but three main criticisms of it have not changed. First: it is just a talking shop and a waste of time. Second: MPs are voting fodder doing what the whips tell them.
We must be prepared to walk away
The prime minister has called this general election to strengthen her hand in the Brexit negotiations. How will it do so? The most crucial card in Theresa May’s hand is her statement that “no deal is better than a bad deal.” Any negotiator knows that you can only obtain a good outcome if you are willing to walk away from a bad one.
Social Security Reforms in Britain: The Principles of Effective Privatization
There are only two ways to finance pensions. The first is to tax those who work to pay for the pensions of those already retired. Most European countries rely largely on this method. Almost all their pensions are financed on a pay-as-you-go basis. This year's taxes are used to pay the pensions of people already retired. Nothing is saved or invested for the future. So as the number of pensioners rises and the number of workers falls, they face an increasingly crippling burden of tax.
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