News / Politics
Baroness Debbonaire to focus on arts sector in House of Lords
Baroness Debbonaire will be continuing her work in the arts and culture sector as a member of the House of Lords, she has told Bristol24/7.
The former professional cellist says she intends to further use her position and experience as a legislator to be “vocal and constructive about arts, culture, heritage, and niche issues like how you finance the arts, how you do object reunifications or how you do cultural aspects of reparations”.
“I have been in the very fortunate position of being offered lots of very interesting work,” the former Bristol West MP said.
is needed now More than ever
“Mostly though not solely in the arts and creative sector. I’ll continue to do that and I will continue to work outside the House of Lords as is both normal and expected.
“I will be continuing to do work that supports arts and creativity, but I also provide strategic advice to various different organisations.”
She has just completed a consultancy with the Southbank Centre in London and another consultancy role within the opera sector.
She envisages that her work in the Lords will be in a “more international scope” than her previous work in the Commons.
Thangam Debbonaire celebrates scoring a goal at Hotwells Primary School – photo: Martin Booth
There remains a large gender imbalance in the House of Lords, which is currently made up of 575 men and 260 women.
Baroness Debbonaire, who is also chair of the Labour Women’s Network, said: “One of the reasons that parliament is closer to 50-50 and the parliamentary Labour Party has been for the last few years, is explicitly because of the work of the Labour Women’s Network.
“The Labour Party, I am proud to say, is the only party that recognises how important that is and has been prepared to do something.
“Whenever politicians from other parties say, ‘Isn’t it great that we’re near 50/50 in Parliament?’ I always want to say to them that’s because the Labour Women’s Network.
“Fifty per cent of the parliamentary Labour party is no mean feat and we’re just about there. We have provided training for quite a big chunk of that 50 per cent of the parliamentary Labour Party over the years.
“It includes the deputy prime minister, the chancellor of exchequer and yours truly, and many other Labour women in the parliamentary Labour Party, but also council leaders, which is also important.”
Thangam Debbonaire is a former professional cellist, who promises to bring her experience of working in the arts into her new role in the House of Lords – photo: Royal College of Music
On her recent peerage – with former Bristol mayor Marvin Rees also elevated to the upper chamber as Lord Rees of Easton – she says that the appointment “is in the purview of the prime minister and of course, the king”.
“I will always want there to be more women and diversity in parliament at both ends and that’s one of the reasons I was glad to take up the opportunity to regress some of that imbalance on ethnicity and on gender.”
Baroness Debbonaire recently moved to Newport in Wales after living in Bristol from 1991. She represented the Bristol West constituency from 2015 to 2024.
Her full official title is Baroness Debbonaire of De Beauvoir Town in the London Borough of Hackney but she declined to say why has chose this area of east London.
She added: “It is an exciting time to be supporting a Labour government that I campaigned hard for and being in the second chamber, the scrutinising chamber, is an honour.
“I was always a good legislator and now I get to carry on being a good legislator.”
Thangam Debbonaire will be swapping the green benches of the House of Commons for the red benches of the House of Lords from March 10 – photo: Parliamentlive.tv
Main photo: Rob Browne
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