When Duncan Smith lost a vote of confidence in 2003, Maclean tendered his resignation but was reappointed to the position under new leader Michael Howard.

Maclean said that "My bill is necessary to give an absolute guarantee that the correspondence of members of parliament, on behalf of our constituents and others, to a public authority remains confidential.

Gordon Brown's green paper on constitutional reform, 'The Governance of Britain', says "It is right that Parliament should be covered by the Act", indicating that the Bill's main proposal will not become law.

[5] On 28 February 2011, Maclean was created a life peer, as Baron Blencathra, of Penrith in the County of Cumbria,[6] and he was introduced in the House of Lords on 10 March 2011,[7] where he sits as a Conservative.

[8] Lord Blencathra returned to the frontbenches for the first time in 19 years on 1 September 2024 as Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.