Jun 2017: Beaufort and The Lords – A Tale of Two Houses.

When a boutique coaching consultancy for women met western democracy’s most patriarchal political chamber, the impulse to discuss gender inclusion strategies with hereditary male peers was compelling.

Despite the 1958 Life Peerages Act that introduced women into the House of Lords, the UK parliamentary website (January 2017) indicates that glass ceilings are as impenetrable as the limestone from which Westminster itself was hewn: men comprise 74.3 percent and women 25.7 percent of the House, with a mean age of  69.

Yet, this aside, the Lords is a venerable institution and is served by some exceptionally talented peers and peeresses.  As the second chamber of the UK Parliament, it complements the work of the Commons. The Lords, (and Ladies) serve a vital task in “making and shaping laws, and challenging and checking the work of government”.

So, swallowing our gender diversity questions, we demurely concentrated on the business in hand: enjoying a tour of the Lords that culminated in a most civilised champagne soirée with our sponsors, Lord Grocott of Telford and Lady Val Corbett (widow of Labour Peer, Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, a tireless advocate for penal reform, animal welfare and the anonymity of rape victims).  Lady Val’s devotion to Prisoner Rehabilitation via the Corbett Award deserves, in our opinion, its own peerage.

Bruce, Lord Grocott shared with us his twin passions:  first, his commitment to abolishing by-elections where hereditary members of the House of Lords vote for hereditary replacements when incumbents die; and secondly, the architectural heritage of the Palace of Westminster.  This included the brilliant mastermind behind its neo-Gothic lines, Augustus Pugin.

After gliding like peeresses through oak-panelled halls with their mullioned windows, admiring the intricately carved bookcases that lined stone walls, crammed with leather and gold embossed books, glimpsing the ornately appointed debating chamber and the dazzling golden wonder of the queen’s robing room, we repaired to the peer’s end of the Terrace for perfectly chilled House of Lord’s champagne.

The evening’s finale involved a delicious meal at the exclusive Barry Room brasserie.  After charming the waiters, we were served perfectly chilled prosecco and treated like countesses.  Well, all I can say is that one hears much about too much “warm prosecco” in the House, but this deficiency was not in evidence in the Barry Room!

It was a memorable visit and one that we were most grateful to Lord Grocott and Lady Val Corbett for engineering.