 In 2000 he chaired a commission for Leader of the Opposition William Hague to design ideas for the strengthening of the institution of Parliament, and from 2001 to 2004 he served as the chairman of the House of Lords Constitution Committee.In 2007 "The Daily Telegraph" named him the 59th most influential person on the right of British politics.Norton is a regular contributor to Lords of the Blog, a collaborative blog by members of the House of Lords for the purposes of public engagement.