Peter Mond, 4th Baron Melchett

Peter Robert Henry Mond, 4th Baron Melchett (born 24 February 1948), also known as Peter Melchett, son of the British Steel Corporation Chairman Sir Julian Mond and Sonia Melchett (now Sinclair), was educated at Eton and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he read Law. He went on to take an MA in Criminology at Keele University, and later researched cannabis addiction at the London School of Economics.

Politics

Lord Melchett succeeded to his titles in 1973 upon the death of his father. When Labour won re-election in October 1974 he was made a Lord-in-Waiting (House of Lords whip) by Harold Wilson. In 1975 he was made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Industry. When James Callaghan succeeded Wilson in 1976 he moved to become Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.

Other activities

Announcing himself sick of the 'lying game' of Westminster politics, Melchett withdrew, working first for the Ramblers' Association appointment President 1981 - 1984 and Vice President since 1984. Lord Melchett then took up position of Executive Director of Greenpeace UK in 1989.

Himself the owner of an 890-acre (360 hectares) farm at Ringstead near Hunstanton, Lord Melchett was arrested in 1999 when he was present at an environmental protest against a genetically modified crop trial, at which crops were destroyed by campaigners. Melchett spent a night in Norwich Prison before being released on bail. The case came to court in 2000 when Melchett and his 27 co-defendants were unanimously acquitted of criminal damage. In the same year he retired as Greenpeace's Executive Director, but remained on the organisation's board.

Melchett severed his ties with Greenpeace in 2002 when he took up a part-time consultancy with industry PR company Burson-Marsteller. Burson-Marsteller had formerly been PR consultants for the Monsanto Company, and it was alleged at the time that Lord Melchett had stood down from Greenpeace's Board following accusation that his employment with Burson-Marsteller compromised his integrity. He has been Policy Director at the Soil Association since 2002.

Lord Melchett is a patron of Prisoners Abroad, a registered charity which supports British citizens who are imprisoned overseas and was Chairman of Wildlife Link from 1979 -1987.

Lord Melchett declared in a BBC radio broadcast for Desert Island Discs that he had deprived his son of the right to succeed him as 5th Baron Melchett by having him out of wedlock. He also sent him to comprehensive school instead of the family tradition of Eton College.

Title and Styles

• 24 February 1948 - 22 January 1949: Peter Robert Henry Mond
• 22 January 1949 - 15 June 1973: The Honourable Peter Robert Henry Mond
• 15 June 1973 - : Sir Peter Robert Henry Mond Bt
• 15 June 1973 -: The Right Honourable The Lord Melchett

Lord Melchett is a baronet, by custom the post-nominal of "Bt" is omitted, as Peers of the Realm do not list subsidiary hereditary titles.

Coat of arms