David Verney, 21st Baron Willoughby de Broke

This article is about the current Lord Willoughby de Broke. For information on the title in general, see Baron Willoughby de Broke.

The Right Honourable Lord Willoughby de Broke
Member of the House of Lords
Personal details
Born	Leopold David Verney
Political party	UKIP
Other political affiliations	Conservative (until 2007)
Alma mater	Institut Le Rosey New College, Oxford

Leopold David Verney, 21st Baron Willoughby de Broke, FRSA, FRGS (born 14 September 1938) is a British peer. He is one of the 92 hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999; originally elected a Conservative peer, he joined United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in January 2007, making him one of only two UKIP members of either house of Parliament. He had succeeded to his father's title in 1986.

The son of the 20th Baron Willoughby de Broke and Rachel Wrey, he was educated at Le Rosey in Switzerland and at New College, Oxford where he read Modern Languages. Since 1992, Willoughby has been chair of SM Theatre Ltd, the St Martins theatre was built by his grandfather. From 1999 to 2004, he was president of the Heart of England Tourist Board.

Between 1990 and 2004, he was patron of the Warwickshire Association of Boys' Clubs, and in 2005–present became chairman of Warwickshire Hunt. Since 1992, Willoughby has been governor of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and since 2002 president of the Warwickshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS).

Lord Willoughby de Broke married firstly Petra Aird, daughter of Colonel Sir John Renton Aird, 3rd Baronet in 1965. Divorced in 1989, he married secondly Alexandra du Luart in 2003, granddaughter of Rab Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden. He has two surviving sons by his first wife, including his heir Rupert Greville Verney and two stepdaughters.

On 19 November 2009 he introduced the Constitutional Reform Bill [HL] 2009-10 bill to the House of Lords. The Bill intended to repeal the European Communities Act 1972, repeal the Human Rights Act 1998, reduce the powers of the House of Commons and government, reduce MPs' pay and give more power to local authorities.

References

• "DodOnline". http://www.dodonline.co.uk/engine.asp?lev1=4&lev2=38&menu=81&biog=y&id=26712. Retrieved 2007-03-27. 

External links

• Lord Willoughby de Broke on the UKIP website

Peerage of England
Preceded by John Verney	Baron Willoughby de Broke 1986–present	Succeeded by incumbent Heir apparent: Rupert Greville Verney