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Lord David BLENCATHRA (United Kingdom, ECPA)

Photo member

Substitute
Member of the House of Lords
Conservative

House of Lords
GB - SW1A 0PW - London
United Kingdom

www.davidmaclean.com

Working language: English

Declarations of interests:
2026 , 2025 , 2024 , 2023 , 2022

Declarations of interest regarding election observations (if applicable)

Latest news

24/05/2026 - Monitoring Türkiye: opposition must not be silenced through force or judicial pressure 27/04/2026 - Monitoring Open letter by rapporteurs of European institutions on the situation of local democracy in Türkiye 29/09/2025 - Monitoring PACE monitors express serious concern about ‘the future of democracy in Türkiye’ 23/06/2025 - Monitoring Statement by the PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Türkiye following their visit to the country 04/06/2025 - Monitoring PACE monitors to make fact-finding visit to Türkiye

Mandates

In the political groups

  • Member: European Conservatives, Patriots & Affiliates since 03/02/2025
  • Member: European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance from 05/10/2019 to 03/02/2025
  • Member: European Conservatives Group from 27/11/2015 to 04/10/2019

In the Assembly

  • since 27/11/2015 Substitute - United Kingdom

In the committee(s) and sub-committee(s)

  • Alternate ECPA: Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights (since 03/02/2025)
  • Member: Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) (since 30/09/2024)
  • Alternate EC/DA: Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights (from 30/09/2024 to 03/02/2025)
  • Full Member EC/DA: Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights (from 29/04/2022 to 26/01/2023)
  • Alternate EC/DA: Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights (from 05/10/2019 to 29/04/2022)
  • Alternate EC: Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights (from 24/01/2019 to 04/10/2019)
  • Second Vice-Chairperson: Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (from 21/01/2019 to 26/01/2020)
  • Alternate EC: Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights (from 23/01/2017 to 20/01/2019)
  • Full Member: Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (since 27/11/2015)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on the Western Balkans (from 05/03/2024 to 28/01/2025)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on External Relations (since 23/01/2023)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on External Relations (from 27/01/2016 to 13/12/2017)
  • Alternate of Sir Christopher CHOPE (Full Member): Special Committee on the New Democratic Pact (since 22/06/2026)
  • Alternate of Mr Stephen GETHINS (Full Member): Sub-Committee on the Western Balkans (from 28/01/2025 to 27/01/2026)

Interventions

Last speeches

23/06/2026 | 11:59:38 Madam President. In this Assembly, we usually have many different and divergent views, but we are certainly at our strongest when we are united. I thank all the 20 colleagues who spoke with almost one voice this morning, including our esteemed colleagues from Türkiye, with just two exceptions, all condemning this unprecedented attack on democracy. Just after I took up my monitoring post, I said that one of the problems of reporting on Türkiye is that every year there's a new democratic or... 23/06/2026 | 11:02:23 Thank you, Madam President. Chair, Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, I speak to you today in partial despair about yet another development that strikes at the heart of democratic politics in Türkiye. In late May this year, the Ankara appeals court chamber declared the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party's (CHP) November 2023 leadership contest void and ordered the replacement of the party's elected leadership with a former leader who was widely regarded as a complete failure... 22/06/2026 | 16:59:25 I was pleased to be an election observer for the Hungarian election and did so in Budapest, surely one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and a very warm and welcoming people. As we see in most elections I've observed in recent years, there were no real problems on polling day, well run and free and fair. As usual, the election fraud takes place many months and years before, with changes to election law to assist the government party, as my colleague Mr Damien COTTIER alluded to. This was... 27/01/2026 | 17:44:50 Mr Vice-President, This evil war of aggression threatens not only Ukraine, but the whole of Europe. There can be no lasting peace in Europe if the Kremlin's campaign succeeds. Peace built on the acquiescence to territorial conquest will be a fragile, dangerous illusion. To secure a durable peace, we must ensure that Russia does not win. That means enabling Ukraine to prevail on the battlefield. So any negotiated settlement is founded on justice, territorial integrity and accountability. Now... 27/01/2026 | 16:15:44 President, I congratulate Mr Damien COTTIER on his excellent report, Elections in times of crisis, because it sets out a clear practical roadmap to strengthen legal clarity for emergencies, bolster operational preparedness, protect electoral infrastructure from foreign interference and cyber threats, adapt and preserve robust election observation and build long-term resilience across the electoral cycle. Colleagues, These are not abstract ideals. They are urgent, actionable priorities and Mr...

Activities

Reports and committee opinions

08/04/2025 | Doc. 16151 | Report The arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul and the state of democracy and human rights in Türkiye 31/03/2021 | Doc. 15253 | Report Urgent need for electoral reform in Belarus

Motions, Written Declarations, Questions

17/04/2026 | Doc. 16378 | Motion for a resolution Out-of-country voting 23/01/2026 | Doc. 16329 | Written declaration The mischaracterisation of democratic Taiwan as regards the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 22/01/2026 | Doc. 16324 | Motion for a resolution Designating Antifa as a terrorist organisation and proscribing the use of its identifying marks and symbols 08/09/2025 | Doc. 16241 | Motion for a recommendation Need to protect election observers 25/06/2025 | Doc. 16213 | Motion for a resolution Regular working relationships with Taiwan

Votes on adopted texts

27/01/2026 | Doc. 16297, vote on the draft text for recommendation Elections in times of crisis 27/01/2026 | Doc. 16297, vote on the draft text for resolution Elections in times of crisis 25/06/2025 | Doc. 16210, vote on the draft text for resolution Global peace under threat: halting the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and addressing the wider conflict in the Middle East 09/04/2025 | Doc. 16151, vote on the draft text for resolution The arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul and the state of democracy and human rights in Türkiye 27/01/2025 | Doc. 16086, vote on the draft text for resolution Progress of the Assembly’s monitoring procedure (January – December 2024)