He succeeded to his father’s titles in 1990. He is one of the ninety hereditary peers in the House of Lords elected to remain after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, sitting as a crossbencher.

He takes a particular interest in the central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and works as a consultant to the Middle East Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). He has been honoured with a Yoruba Chieftaincy in Nigeria and received State decorations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Colombia.

Lord Waverley has set up the website Parliament Revealed, to explain the workings of the UK Parliament.