Politics
The House | Female peers: a minority on the red benches, but achieving great things
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, then Leader of the House of Lords, May 2022 (Credit: House of Lords / Photography by Annabel Moeller)
3 min read
As the debate about the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster continues to rage on, one thing remains constant – there is still some way to go to ensure those who work within it are more representative of the country as a whole.
The House of Lords will always be steeped in its history and traditions, which remains important as it continues to modernise. When it comes to representation and strides towards diversity, however, progress remains slow. Out of 849 peers, 274 are women – around 32 per cent of total membership. This compares to 40 per cent of women sitting on the green benches.
Although in the minority on the red benches, women are achieving great things in the Lords and deserve to be given more airtime to highlight the difference they are making. This is where Her Voice in the House, a new podcast spotlighting female peers is unashamedly determined to shine a light.
Peers in general are often misrepresented as ermine-wearing, Champagne-sipping individuals
In their own words, peers are lifting the lid on their work in the Lords and beyond, diving deeply into the issues they’re championing. They’re sharing their journey to the red benches and discussing how others can play their part in British democracy.
The public and Members themselves are very clear: female Peers are misrepresented on two counts. First, the media often do not fully cover the work of the Upper Chamber or the debates that go on within it. Secondly, peers in general are often misrepresented as ermine-wearing, Champagne-sipping individuals, out of touch with the real world. Indeed, a number of the podcast’s guests have said these characterisations have been directly levelled at them by the public.
This assumption could not be further than the truth, and through the interviews being broadcast we’re seeing the hard work, often into the early hours, that peers are doing. On important issues like early years support, violence against women and girls, the future of farming and government efficiency, female peers are working hard to make a difference. It’s time that those outside the Westminster bubble have the opportunity to hear their stories and learn from their experiences.
The red benches are packed full of knowledge and expertise. Scientists, businesswomen, lawyers and leaders – women who have served at the top of their professions and continue to shape our country and create a lasting legacy.
Interviewed by Laura, I was pleased to share my experience of how I dealt with two of our country’s most recent challenges as leader of the House of Lords – Brexit and Covid, as well as my approach to leadership.
Women have helped to shape the Lords as a place of many ‘firsts’. Through these podcasts, many of them have shared their thoughts on shaping history – the first female leader of the Lords, the first female Lord Speaker, the first female civil service commissioner and the first female chair of the NFU. Recording their accounts is an important step in preserving for current and future generations their recollections and advice as part of our nation’s history.
As democracy faces challenges from populism and division, it is vital that our political institutions not only represent the electorate but also demonstrate how they are doing so in our collective goal to inspire the next generation of public servants. This is particularly important to inspire more women to get involved in public life and perhaps stand for political office.
It’s our hope that Her Voice in the House will play its part in doing this, strengthening public debate and spotlighting the House of Lords as an institution that is vital to British public life and all of our futures.
Baroness Evans is a Conservative peer and Laura Emily Dunn is a political consultant and host of the ‘Her Voice in the House’ podcast
