 He was elevated to the House of Lords in 1983 as Baron Fanshawe of Richmond, of South Cerney in the County of Gloucestershire.He was a director of Westland Helicopters during the 1985 Westland affair, supporting Michael Heseltine's pro-Europe position rather than Margaret Thatcher.He acted as an informal liaison from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Keenie Meenie Services, one of Britain's first private military companies formed by ex-SAS members.